Fairytale
by icy roses
Summary: Rei discovers that her crazy grandmother's tales have more to them than she previously thought. Fairytales are never what you expect them to be. Especially when they involve demons.
1. Once Upon A Time

**A/N: So this WILL be a novella. If I don't finish it, please FORCE me to. Not much to say with the first bit. Other than the disclaimer, which is on my profile and applies to all my stories. So without further ado, let me present:**

**Once Upon A Time**

The school bell screeched and jolted Rei from her slumber. She opened her eyes blearily. Blurs were moving slowly toward the door. She yawned and rubbed her eyelids vigorously, as if to rub off the sleepiness that clung heavily to them. Her hands moved away from her face, and the grinning face of Ayaka Sato swam into view.

Ayaka patted Rei condescendingly on the head in mock pity. "Asleep again, eh? This would be the…hmmm," –here she put her finger on her temple to feign contemplation— "third time this week? Get a grip, Rei. Tanaka-sensei will catch you eventually. And you know how he hates it when people sleep through his class."

Rei groaned hopelessly. "Do you have any idea how boring this class is?" she ground out, annoyed. Ayaka just laughed, which made Rei's sleep-deprived brain that much more irritated. Her friend rapped her on the head. "Yes. Hello! I'm in this class too, remember?" She smiled good-naturedly and continued, "Come on now. You better hurry up. Our next class starts in-" she checked her watch "-three minutes."

Rei stood up and grudgingly noticed her limbs creaking in protestation. She stretched, yawned again, gathered her books, and stuffed them unceremoniously into her backpack. Then she lifted it onto her back, noting unhappily that it was very, very heavy. "Why do I have to carry all this stuff around? This can't be good for my back. When I suffer from premature spine deformation one day, I plan on blaming the school." She noted with even less satisfaction that Ayaka was striding away evenly, completely ignoring her.

"Stop blathering and get moving. I'm not going to be late because of you," Ayaka flung back smoothly without a backward glance.

Rei strove to catch up. It was going to be a long day.

xXx

It was the last class of the day, finally, blissfully. Rei sat in her desk and waited for Saitou-sensei start the class. She felt much more awake than she did for Chemistry, partly because it was four in the afternoon and not eight in the morning, and partly because Ancient Legends of Japan held much more allure than a dull, droning science class did.

Rei straightened when Saitou-sensei came in, five minutes late, as usual. Rei liked him much better than her other teachers. Since he was always lax on promptness, he hardly expected his students to be on time, and that was a great boon for Rei. And simply his red-cheeked cherubic appearance made it impossible to dislike him.

Ancient Legends of Japan was undoubtedly her favorite class. It didn't involve any complicated math or mind-bending concepts. Casting a wayward glance at Ayaka, Rei suspected that _that_ was exactly why Ayaka _didn't _like it. Which completely baffled Rei. Who could resist fairytales? That was the very essence of this class, after all.

In an odd, unsettling way, the stories Saitou-sensei told were uncannily like the bedtime stories her grandma had told her when she was little. Grandma had forever instilled in her a love for fairytales, and Rei supposed that was why she liked this class so much. Grandma was so good at telling heroic epics, sometimes Rei wondered wildly and very insensibly whether they were _real_.

Saitou-sensei clapped his hands in anticipation. "All right, class. We have another lovely legend today that I hope you all will find interesting. It dates back to the Sengoku Jidai-" he wrote the date for the era on the board "-that I hope you all remember. We discussed it a few days ago. Most of the famous legends come from this era, and this one is no exception. It is rather famous as myths go." He rubbed his hands in excitement. "It's about a dog-demon this time."

Rei heard Ayaka expel a loud sigh. Ayaka leaned over and whispered, "This is so pointless. We all know there's no such thing as demons. What a waste of my time," she hissed exasperatedly. Rei raised her eyebrows. "Tell that to my grandma." Rei lived on the Higurashi shrine, and was exposed daily to the superstitious rants of her grandmother. Ayaka frowned. "The woman's crazy. Even your mother says so. She's completely nuts. Nobody believes in that stuff today."

Rei pointedly decided to ignore the comment. Her grandmother might be not right in the head, but that didn't make her any less of a person, and Rei was a little angry that Ayaka would say something like that. _You know it's absolutely true,_ her mind supplied unwelcomingly. Rei forced the thoughts away from her head and concentrated on the lecture. She would not think about it now.

"This legend is called The Warrior-Girl and the Demon Lord." Rei heard Ayaka grumble something about how all fairytales involved a human female with a demon male and continued to ignore her. Really, for a girl who loved the supernatural, Ayaka could be amazingly close-minded about legends sometimes. Rei could almost call her a hypocrite, but decided that Ayaka would definitely not take that well. She settled comfortably in her seat and anticipated what would presumably be a good story.

"Once upon a time was where all fairytales start and where this one will as well." Rei loved his style of storytelling and listened closer. "There was a demon, and what a demon he was! He was a lord amongst his kind, revered and feared. He ruled well and for many long years there was nothing to disturb his lands. But on a fateful day, an evil hanyou was born of immense and unnatural power. His evil seeped into the ground and the air, poisoning everything around, until it could be ignored no longer. Something had to be done."

Rei felt that same nagging feeling that this story carried an air of familiarity about it that she could not put her finger on. Troubled, she listened.

"So this demon lord, who was had much pride in his power and ability, went to challenge the hanyou on his own." The sensei paused for dramatic effect. "But he failed. He was hardly able to accept that he could not defeat a mere hanyou, and it crushed his vanity.

"The only one he could turn to help for was his brother, a weak demon that he had never much liked. He thought his brother a complete disgrace to the family. The demon lord would never consent to ask his brother for assistance.

"But then, something completely unexpected happened. The demon lord's brother crossed paths with a human girl. Now even the brother, weaker as he was, was loath to lower himself by being with humans. But this human was lost and cold and hurt, and his heart was moved enough to tend to her.

"When this girl became well again, she revealed to her benefactor that she was no simple human. Instead, she was a trained warrior woman who fought well and rivaled even the demon lord's brother. For weaker as the brother was, he was still a demon, and no match for a simple human. He was much impressed by her. Working together, the demon lord's brother and the human girl warrior managed even to fell the proud demon lord. He reconciled with his brother. And it was all made possible because of this human girl. The demon lord's brother fell in love with girl. Together, the two decided to battle the hanyou foe.

"In the end, the warrior-girl and the demon brother…" Saitou-sensei stopped abruptly. He did not go on and was silent for at least a minute. No one spoke, and the air sparkled with a heavy sense of suspense. Rei was itching for the ending. She began to raise her hand when she looked over at Ayaka.

This time, much to Rei's surprise, her friend raised her hand timidly. "Yes, Sato?" he asked dubiously.

Ayaka hesitated. "Well, what happened?" she asked quietly.

Saitou-sensei looked around thoughtfully. "That's a good question. We have never been able to find out what happened. You see, this story is of strange origin. Instead of being passed down orally like most legends are, this tale was actually recorded on an ancient scroll known to be a document of accepted history. Thus, many archeologists are convinced this particular myth has a root in truth. However, the scroll was in rather bad shape when it was recovered, and the story I have just relayed to you, was barely salvaged from the parchment. The rest has been lost to time. It is simply indecipherable from this point on, due to the bad quality of the scroll."

The class was quiet for a few moments before the bell rang in its usual grating, unpleasant sound. Everyone burst into talk at once. Things were gathered and people began to meander towards the door.

"I'll see everyone tomorrow!" Saitou-sensei called out.

"Come on, Rei, or it will take forever to get out of the crowded hallway," Ayaka said.

Rei felt a tug of curiosity inside her mind, and she responded, "You go. I have to do something."

Ayaka's brows stitched together. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Rei reassured her. Ayaka nodded and rushed off, eager to leave the tedium of school.

Rei simply could not shake off the odd feeling this class gave her. She knew something was strange about the story, and now she knew what it was. It so resembled the stories of her grandma, that it was couldn't be a coincidence. Grandma's stories centered on a hanyou, and that hanyou had a name. Rei felt her stomach twist in unexplained nervousness as she approached Saitou-sensei's desk.

He was organizing his papers and didn't look up. Rei cleared her throat.

His head jerked upwards in surprise. "Ah, Nakamura," he said easily. "What is it?" Rei shifted on her feet. "You can call me Rei, you know," she told him. He smiled. "Of course. And your question?"

Rei wasn't exactly sure how to ask it. _My crazy grandma tells me stories, and they sound quite scarily a lot like these_ didn't sound like the best of options. "What's the name of the hanyou?" she blurted out. _Fabulous,_ she thought. _Way to ask a question that really has nothing to do with this at all. What are the chances, huh?_ So her grandma's stories had a hanyou. Her hanyou definitely wasn't an evil scourge. Quite the opposite in fact. Her hanyou happened to be the hero of every story.

Saitou-sensei frowned. "That's an odd thing to ask. I don't know the name of the hanyou. But I do know the name of the demon lord. His name is Sesshoumaru."

Nothing clicked there. Rei should have known it was a stupid suspicion. Why the hell did she care so much anyway? It was just a stupid suspicion for a stupid story. So what if it sounded similar? Didn't mean anything.

"…And the demon lord's brother's name is Inuyasha."

Rei's heart skipped a beat. _What?_ her brain thought coherently. _Impossible. But…how…how did Grandma's stories have this Inuyasha in them as well? And Inuyasha _was_ the hanyou, wasn't he?_ Her brain was wrapping around itself in confusion. Inuyasha. Inuyasha. She knew the name. But what did it all mean? Or did it mean anything at all? She could hear Ayaka telling her off again. Don't be insensible, Rei. It's nothing. It doesn't matter. You shouldn't care. _I will care,_ she thought determinedly. _Everything has a meaning_.

She could only think of one thing. "I was wondering…I was wondering whether I could borrow the book with that story in it?" she asked tentatively. Rei had no idea how having this book was going to make anything make more sense, but she wanted to read it for herself, anyway.

The sensei smiled. "Of course. I don't see any harm in that. But just bring it back, okay? I'm trusting you."

And suddenly, the thick tome was resting in Rei's hands, the coarse red cover rubbing against her fingers, warm and real. The gold lettering on the cover read, "Myths and Legends of the Sengoku Jidai."

Rei grinned. "Thanks, Saitou-sensei. I'll bring it back."

And she rushed off, the name _Inuyasha_ echoing in her head.

**A/N: This story will not be what you expect. So the name Inuyasha is echoing in her head. Ha! That means nothing. Yes, I know Inuyasha is a hanyou, not a "weaker demon" or so he was referred to. Just go with the flow, okay? Please review and come back for the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! Please review!**

**Chapter 1**

"I'm home, Mom!" Rei walked tiredly into the house and shrugged her backpack off. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Her mother emerged from the kitchen. "Oh good, dear. How was school today?" she chirped cheerfully.

"Fine."

Her mother smiled gently, but then melted into a frown. "What's that you're carrying?" she asked curiously. She eyed the object in Rei's hands.

Rei looked down. "Oh!" she exclaimed as she saw the worn red book still clutched tightly between her fingers. "I forgot that I had it." She stared at the gilded lettering on the cover for a moment. She decided against telling her mother about it. "Um, it's nothing at all. Just some book I got from a sensei," she said as nonchalant as she could. Her mother was never one to like ancient legends and fairytales. Needless to say, her mother and her grandma hardly ever got along. Which really wasn't a problem seeing as Grandma was never in her right mind enough to care.

"So, homework?" her mother persisted.

Rei fidgeted slightly. Why was she nervous about this? It was just a stupid book, and she was acting as if she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar or something. "Not exactly. Look, I need to talk to Grandma. Where is she?"

Her mother's features immediately melted into a scowl. "Oh she's outside. Under Goshinboku, as she usually is. I think she's talking to the tree. She might not respond to anyone right now."

_Talking to the tree?_ That's what Rei's mom might have thought but Rei knew better. She was talking to an invisible someone _on_ the tree. _Perfect,_ she thought with a grin. And anyway, Grandma never had any qualms about responding to her. In fact, seemed to think that Rei reminded her of someone. _She really is insane,_ Rei thought fondly. Her cute, crazy old grandma, _though usually crazy wasn't a good compliment,_ her mind told her strictly.

"Don't worry, Mom. I just want to ask her something," Rei assured her.

"Okay…" her mother responded skeptically.

Rei bounced out the door, and she could have sworn her mother mutter, "Though I don't know how you're planning on getting an answer from her."

The air was light and lovely outside; it was a sunny day. Rei liked to be outside, and so she could understand why Grandma would always sit outside instead of in the stuffy house. Sometimes, she wondered vaguely whether Grandma ever got _bored_ of living on the Higurashi Shrine. Grandma had lived here since she was a girl, long, long ago. Rei didn't think she'd want to live here after she graduated from high school. She planned on going to college and getting away from Tokyo. _This place just stagnates on you,_ she thought glumly. The same, dusty, suspicious smelling shrine houses and the constant flow of visitors. It was always the same.

She knew for a fact that her mother did not like living here at all. Mom had wanted to get their own house somewhere in Tokyo, instead of spending her life tending to an old, neglected shrine. She hardly believed in the old superstitions that surrounded the place, and Rei really didn't believe them either. The only person who ever refused to give up on them was Grandma. And maybe Dad.

When Rei was little, Grandma used to tell her a bedtime story every night, which therein was where the conflict started. Mom wanted to tell her a story, and Rei would have none of it. Rei always insisted that Grandma's stories were better. And when Mom began telling her that it was all a lie, that all of Grandma's stories were a bunch of horsepucky, Dad would step it. Rei liked Dad.

"Maybe it's not just a lie. Maybe old Grandma here has something up her sleeve, eh?" he would insist with a wink. He grew up listening to Grandma's stories too, when Grandma was "Mom" and Grandpa was still there and called "Dad". Grandpa left a long time ago. No one knew whether or not he was still alive.

Rei had asked her father before, and he said, "All we know is that my father got sick of listening to my mother mourn about something he didn't understand. Oh yes, the first couple years of their marriage were fine, but my mother, your grandma, was so far away sometimes, she would forget altogether about her family. Sometimes I would catch her crying by herself. I never understood it. Whatever made her so upset? My father didn't understand it either, so one day he just took off and left. We never saw him again. It bothered my mother much less than I thought it would."

Her father had told her this when she was thirteen, old enough to comprehend the deep strife and conflict within her own family. Grandma was declared officially and medically insane when Dad married Mom. And then the married couple was saddled with the old lady. And so it was.

Rei sighed. _She_ liked Grandma. And she was firmly convinced that if Grandma could remember so many things about her past and tell such marvelous stories, she could not be crazy. Rei wanted to believe her very much, but something inside her mind told her that it wasn't true, it wasn't right. Rei _wanted _to believe, but her too pragmatic brain simply refused to take it.

She looked up and suddenly, Goshinboku was right there, looming closer and closer. The tree was absolutely huge. It was the biggest tree Rei had ever seen. Long elegant branches curved downward slightly due to the weight of the leaves. The thick trunk grew up, grey and solid, real and tangible. The leafy bulk of the tree brushed against the blue sky. And sitting in its cool, dark shade, a small figure: Grandma, looking up at the trunk and talking.

Rei walked up silently, and Grandma did not turn around. Slowly, she lowered herself to onto the bench next to the old woman. Her grandma stopped talking abruptly and turned to look at her granddaughter.

"Oh, hello Reimi!" she sang out happily. Grandma was the only one who called her Reimi, her real name.

"Hi, Grandma!" she returned quietly. Rei looked down at the book in her hands, examined it this time. The corners were bent, and the red cover was slightly scuffed and worn, but otherwise, it was fine. Carefully, she opened it up and touched the pages. They were yellowing slightly and very fragile. The words were delicately thin ink lines. Rei traced them with her fingers. Her hand stopped at the name, Inuyasha. _So it was this page again, _she thought.

She remembered…

_Grandma's warm bulk was next to Rei as she listened sleepily to this night's story._

_Grandma sniffed disdainfully. "Since your mother insists that none of my stories hold any value to them, I'll tell one that's true. We'll see what she has to say to that. A true story, I promise._

"_Once upon a time, there was a girl of fifteen who lived in Tokyo. She was like any other girl, but she lived on shrine._

"_One day, when she was going to school, she heard an odd noise in the old well house, so she went in to explore. Before she knew it, she was pulled into the old well by an evil mononoke. She managed to fight it off somehow, and she landed in the Sengoku Jidai._

"_The girl was frightened so she ran into the forest, in hopes of finding something familiar. Instead, she found a big tree, on which, was pegged a boy. It was no ordinary boy. This boy had strange ears and silver hair. His name was Inuyasha…"_

Rei sat up straighter. Yes, definitely. There was no mistake. The boy's name was Inuyasha.

Her eyes landed on the page of the book. _Inuyasha_.

She took her grandma's hand in hers. "Grandma, what was his name again? The hanyou boy…"

Her grandma's head swiveled around, and her gaze suddenly pierced her with such clarity, that Rei was taken aback. _How could anyone think that she's crazy?_ Rei thought.

Her grandma's gaze clouded again, and she looked distinctly at Goshinboku. "He was there…" she said faintly. "I remember, a long time ago, he was there. Right there…" She stretched out her fingers as if to touch something that no one but she could see, someone that no one but she could hear. Rei felt a twinge in her heart.

"Yes, Grandma?"

His name. Her grandma spoke softly, "His name…was Inuyasha. I told you once before, yes?"

Rei nodded. She put the open book on her grandma's lap and pointed to the name. "Like that?"

She watched as the old woman's eyes widened. But she said nothing. She stared hard at the page, and then seemingly made a decision. "The well house," her grandma announced suddenly. She looked at Rei expectantly and jabbed toward its direction.

Rei felt confusion. "What?" What did that have to do with anything?

"The well house, Reimi. Inside the well." Her grandma's eyes were filled with a sort of wild fury and extreme urgency. "Go!" She pushed the girl hard. "Go!"

Rei was bewildered. "Huh?" she asked dumbly.

"Just do it!"

Rei nodded uncertainly. She got up and walked slowly toward the well house. She could feel her grandma's gaze boring into her back. She would have to go in at least, so she wouldn't upset the old woman. She felt extremely foolish.

Her grandma had such an odd reaction to the name in the book. So what if it was the same name? Maybe it was a common name back then. Maybe Grandma had read it somewhere before and started to think that she knew the boy. There were many explanations, least of all that her Grandma had actually known someone five hundred years ago in the past. It seemed pretty impossible.

She was at the door to the well house. She'd never liked this shrine. It was always the worst, sometimes even boarded up on holidays to prevent little children from falling into the well. It was musty and old smelling inside. _And rather dark, _she thought unwillingly, a slight twisting in her stomach.

She opened the door. It creaked forebodingly. She stepped in cautiously. The thick heaviness of the air overwhelmed her.

There was nothing inside, save for the well, which lay at the bottom of some steps. It was covered up. No surprises here. Rei turned back and poked a head out of the shrine. Nope. Grandma was still watching. She'd have to stay in here for a while. _What does she want me to do in here?_ she thought with a trace of irritation. There wasn't anything to be done.

Rei recalled the story of the girl being pulled into the well by a mononoke. Well, there certainly weren't any mononoke in the modern era, so that wasn't anything to be worried about. With no real motive other than curiosity, Rei went to open the well.

The wooden lids on the well top were surprisingly heavy, and it took her a few minutes to lift them up and fling them back. She huffed and puffed for a second or two, then put her hands on the edge of the well and peered down. It was dark inside with a thick layer of dust and cobwebs at the bottom. _Ew,_ her mind registered. There was no way her grandma could get her to climb in there. No way. _It's disgusting inside._

_Well, nothing to see here. I guess I'll try to sneak out without Grandma seeing_, she thought. But as she turned around, her hand shifted and a stray nail protruding from the rim of the well stabbed her soft pink palm.

"Ow!" she exclaimed. She heard a heavy thunk at the bottom of the well. _Wonderful. The stupid nail caused me to drop Saitou-sensei's precious book into the well. Great. Now I have to go in and get it._ She rubbed furiously at her hand and glared outside. _Well, Grandma, at least it'll make you happy that I have to get inside._ It wasn't much consolation at all.

She glanced apprehensively into the well. There was the book, lying innocently at the bottom, staring back at her. _Grrr_, she thought unhappily. And since thinking it really didn't suffice, she said it out loud too. "Grrr."

She entertained for a moment the thought of getting someone else to go in there and get it, but that made it seem like she was too scared and whiny to get it herself. _Ugh! I really, really don't want to go in there!_

Rei bit her lip and looked down into it again. _Here goes nothing._ There didn't seem to be a ladder to the bottom, which implied, sadly enough, that she would have to jump. _It doesn't look like too far of a fall_, her mind cheerfully interjected. She made a mental note to stop her brain acting so optimistic at the most useless times.

Rei put one leg over the edge, then another, careful not to expose the skin of her legs to any more nails. She gazed into the dark interior again. _Please don't let me break anything or touch anything…disgusting_, she prayed. She took a deep breath.

Rei jumped.

**A/N: Ooo, cliffhanger! Dun dun dun! Thanks to Brandeee for reviewing the first chapter! Aka the rest of you should review too. Theory is good...you'll just have to see if it's true. Like I said before, this story will not be what you expect. Again, please review!**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: So this is where it starts to get interesting. Thanks much to the reviews from the last chapter: Valinor's Twilight and Lady Kanna-Chan. Kanna-Chan, your review made me smile. Please don't eat your head, lol. Here's the next chappie!**

**Chapter 2**

In retrospect, there were many factors that would have warned Rei that something was a bit off. _First, never listen to anything a presumably insane person tells you to do. Check. Second, when you approach a darkly dusty old well house, you probably should not go in. Right. Third, diving into a deep abandoned well _inside _the creepy old well house is definitely a no-no. _That probably should have been the first thing that popped into her mind. _And when all other cautionary signs go unnoticed, that weird blue light that is suddenly lifting me off the ground can't be a good thing._

It was an extremely odd sensation. Rei felt like she was floating in an expanse of glowing blue water, except that she wasn't wet. _Hmmm…_she thought calmly. It was far too strange to merit any panic. Rei was usually a rational person, unlike Ayaka, who brilliant and brainy as she was, always had weird supernatural explanations for things. But this situation was causing Rei's brain abandon its usual train of coherent thought. So at the moment, Rei was largely unconcerned with _how_ this phenomena was happening. Rather, she was concentrating on the vaguely urgent voice in the back of her head that was yelling, _Not good, not good!_

_Yes, thank you very much, Conscience, I think I've figured that much out myself, _she commented dryly.

It didn't last long. A few seconds later, this strange bright blueness deposited her gently back onto the ground. The world swam back into focus. Rei immediately squeezed her eyes shut, fervently hoping that when she opened them again, there wouldn't be anything too terribly out of place. _Please, please, please don't let there be anything weird going on. Maybe it was just Mom shining a very odd blue flashlight in my face. _After a few moments, she slowly opened her eyes. Rei scanned her surroundings cautiously. The same earthy, slightly damp floor was securely beneath her. The faded gray wood of the wall was still in place. The thickly layered dust and light cobwebs were still there as well. She recoiled slightly at that. _Ew, _her mind supplied generously. _But overall, this is a plus. I'm still in the well, _she thought with relief. Things seemed to be all right. The problem was when she looked up. It was definitively light blue up there, no mistaking it, with a few wisps of white. _Clouds?_ her brain thought rather drunkenly. _Sky? That looks pretty convincingly like sky to me. _There was a very distinct call of a bird. _Oh no…_Rei went over this new information quickly. _Yes, this is good: I'm still in the well. The bad? Apparently, I'm not in the well _house_ anymore._

Rei decided _that _might potentially be a problem. _But where could the well house have possibly gone? Unless the roof blew off in the span of a few seconds, or Mom decided to tear it down while I was still in it, or…or…_There weren't too many plausible options. Rei quickly forced her mind away from that subject and chose to work on one problem at a time. _Okay_, _first things first, I need to get out of this well._ Yes, that would indeed be helpful.

Rei looked for a way to climb out. For the first time, she noticed that there was very distinctively a ladder built into the well. There were long thin blocks of wood that were firmly inserted into the dully-gray wall. _But, there wasn't a ladder when I jumped in. Otherwise I would have definitely used the ladder, _she thought confusedly and a little grumpily. But there it was, and obviously real. She reached out and touched it, just to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. No. _Maybe, I just didn't see it in the darkness of the well house. Maybe. Hopefully._ Well, it was certainly very bright inside the well now, no problem seeing anything. Especially making out the loads of cobwebs that so cheerily decorated the dank interior. _Fabulous._

Something was poking her insistently in the side. Rei looked down. "Myths and Legends of the Sengoku Jidai" was open on the ground, and she was sitting on a corner of it. She closed the book, picked it up, and glared uselessly at it. "You started this whole mess, you stupid book. Now I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone or something. I swear that when I get out of this well, I'm going to burn you up. I don't care if Saitou-sensei gets angry or not," she scolded. The book stared shamelessly back. She sighed. "I'm really getting pathetic. Talking to a book," she said aloud. She shook her head and stood up. Tucking the book under her arm, she dusted her hands off the best she could and stared upwards hopelessly. _Time to get out of this thing._

Rei hesitantly touched the rungs of the makeshift ladder, and climbed up slowly. She was a little afraid of what she might find once she got out. The climbing was harder than she would have thought. The rungs were worn smooth with use, and the whole thing was uncompromisingly vertical. Each step made her feel as if she was going to slip off. Her fingers scrabbled to keep hold. _Climbing this is hard enough. I can't do it with a book under my arm, _she thought. Keeping a firm grip on the protruding rung, she pulled the book out from under her arm and threw it over the edge of the well. It landed with a soft thump out of sight. She might have thrown it a bit harder than necessary. It did make her feel slightly better.

Her head slowly rose over the edge of the well, and the sight that greeted her was a complete shock. It was one thing to see a blue sky overhead where the ceiling was supposed to be. That could be somewhat explainable. But when a full blown forest clearing, complete with real green grass and surrounded by real leafy trees met one's eyes, that was a different thing altogether. Rei stared dumbly, and her jaw dropped. For a few moments, she continued to stare in shock. She was speechless.

It was summertime, and there was clearly no well house to speak of. She was outside, and there were no buildings, no sound of bustling people and cars: nothing. A yellow and white butterfly fluttered across her line of sight. Rei jerked back to reality and noticed the book lying a few feet away. She scrambled out of the well, grabbed it, and cradled it in her arms. _Well, book, I have a feeling that we're not in Tokyo anymore. _She looked around. _Not just a feeling, actually, I'm pretty damn sure we're not in Tokyo anymore._

Rei glanced helplessly back at the well. Suddenly, she felt very exposed and naked, and the well seemed like a much safer place to be at the moment, regardless of the determinedly bright weather. She fought off the strong urge to climb back in and huddle there in a fetal position. _That really wouldn't accomplish anything, _the more sane part of her mind told her.

_So what am I supposed to do now?_ she asked herself. Or anyone really, she wasn't picky as to who would answer that question. She forced herself into a calm and tried to arrange her thoughts into some semblance of order. _Problem One: I seem to have no idea where I am, at all. Two: I don't know how I got here, so I don't know how to get back. Three: I don't know who I should ask for help, or whether I can be helped at all. Four: If I were to be theoretically stuck here, I have nothing except a book of legends._ Mm. The situation didn't appear too promising. The only real thing that she could do at this moment was look around and try to find someone friendly. _Heh. Odd that when you read fairytales, it's so easy to instruct the heroine what to do, but when you actually get stuck in one, you suddenly lose all rational thought and go berserk with your actions. _Indeed, wandering around blindly didn't seem like the most constructive of things to be doing at this moment, but Rei was truly at a lost for what else to attempt.

She stood up weakly and looked around. Trees, trees, and more trees, in every direction. She had a sneaky suspicion that she was in the only clearing for miles and miles, but decided to ignore said hunch. It was only succeeding in making her feel slightly queasy. Rei scanned the trees for an area with thinner vegetation. _There. _She shrugged. _Better that way than any other way,_ she reasoned. She hugged the book tightly to her unconsciously and began to trek the way that she had chosen.

xXx

About fifteen minutes into the hike, Rei found herself immensely annoyed at her school for forcing the female students to wear sailor fukus as uniforms. Before, she had never had a problem with them. They weren't ugly or anything, they were actually pretty attractive, in her opinion. She wore a white blouse laced smartly with a gray ribbon. She wore loose socks and black penny loafers. A gray pleated skirt completed the outfit. All in all, it wasn't a bad uniform at all. At least, it wasn't until a few minutes ago.

The problem here was that the socks went up to about mid-calf and the skirt did not reach her knees. This left the backs of her knees and parts of her legs vulnerable to the thick underbrush that was consistently in the way. The backs of her legs were now crisscrossed in little red scratch marks, and her arms weren't faring much better. _Oh kami, why isn't there a single godforsaken path in this whole forest? Don't people think to make roads for convenience? _she huffed. Suddenly, a much more frightening thought hit her with nasty realism. _What if nobody lives here? What if I'm just tramping around for no good reason?_ She didn't put it beyond this place. She still had no earthly idea where _here_ was, which didn't help her nerves any. _I could be on an alien planet for all I know._ She tried not to think about that.

Rei continued to trudge miserably into the ever-thickening forest, scanning for any signs of life. She noted with displeasure that it was getting noticeably later in the day; if she had to guess, probably somewhere around six o'clock. Inwardly, she thanked everything good and holy for it being late spring. The days were longer now, and that meant she would probably have a good two and a half hours of daylight left. Something, at least, was going her way. _Please let me find someone soon._ She found the idea of spending the night on the cold, hard ground extremely unwelcoming.

"Ow!"

Rei jumped back and rubbed her arm hard, giving the wayward branch a hard, furious stare. She had pulled it back to let herself pass, but it slipped from her grasp and gave her a painful thwack on her wrist. _Oh, lovely, _she thought moodily, _this is sure to leave a mark._ An angry red welt was already beginning to swell up. _I can add this to large and still growing collection of scratches. _Rei savagely and rather happily blamed all of this on her fuku. She briefly entertained the idea of stripping naked and burning the uniform right then and there, but decided against it because waltzing around in the nude would most likely not be in her best interest.

For about the fiftieth time in half an hour, she sighed.

Suddenly, there was a loud crackle maybe fifty feet away. Rei stiffened. She quickly slid behind a large tree trunk to her left. Breathlessly, she peeked, trying to see who or what made the noise while revealing as little of herself as possible.

She squinted. It was definitely a human. Or at least, something that was humanoid in appearance. She looked harder. Nope, she was pretty certain that it was a human.

It was a man, making his way through the woods on his own, a large bundle of kindle on his back. He looked pretty solid, but tired and hutched over, and a little pale. He was huffing and puffing with each step. _Well I'll bet, _thought Rei. _That huge pile on his back doesn't look like very much fun to carry._ She frowned. All at once, a flood of questions rushed to her mind.

The man was dressed very oddly. He had on a dull tan-brown shapeless shift, and loose dark brown pants that looked a bit too short for him. A brown band was around his head, she supposed, to mop up the liberal amounts of sweat. All of his clothes were dull and boring, as if he meant to draw attention away from him. He easily could have blended into the forest if he hadn't have snapped the twig. Rei also noticed with surprise, that his shoes were crudely carved wooden clogs.

_People don't wear clothes like that,_ Rei thought cautiously. _What's with this guy?_ Presumably, since she was in the middle of the woods, he might have been a farmer, but Rei found it hard to believe. _Even farmers are dressed better these days, I mean, at least they have tennis shoes._ _Who would wear _wooden _shoes?_ She was absolutely perplexed.

She shifted behind the tree. Her hand accidentally brushed a leafy branch, which subsequently caused a rustle. "Whoops!" she said. The man's head whirled toward Rei's direction. _Real smooth, Rei, real smooth. Even if he hadn't heard the leaves, he definitely heard the "whoops," _she told herself. But there were more pressing matters at hand. The man had obviously seen Rei. It was probably even more suspicious that she was spying on him from behind a tree. His eyes were darting around nervously, and his hands trembled. Rei found herself a bit alarmed at his behavior. _Whoa, hold it, mister! Chill out! It's just a girl, just a sixteen year old girl with no weapons except an old book, completely and utterly defenseless. _This might possibly have reassured the man somewhat had she said it out loud, but instead, it only made Rei suddenly and painfully aware of the fact that she was alone in the forest and some strange man had discovered her. And he was armed. Rei eyed his bundle of wood and his sturdy looking clogs apprehensively.

Her mind was in a haze as to what to do. Without thinking at all, she stepped out from behind the tree and smiled nervously. The man's eyes widened in apparent fear.

Rei felt like she had to say something before this man had a severe attack of nerves. "Wait! Don't be scared! I'm just a girl, okay? Nothing scary or terrible…" Her reassurances trailed off quickly as she watched him pale about three shades and begin to blubber pathetically on top of all that. _What is wrong with this guy?_ she thought in exasperation. _Did I grow an extra arm or something in the well?_ She looked down and checked to make sure it wasn't so. It wasn't.

The man was pointing to Rei now, and beads of sweat were gathering on his forehead. His finger wavered, and he continued to murmur some indecipherable phrases. Apparently, he was rendered incapable of speaking out of pure fright. Rei was baffled. But she felt very suddenly much less baffled when he began screaming bloody murder.

"Demon! It's a demon!" he shrieked.

_He appears to be going crazy,_ Rei thought irrationally. _Wait, what? Demon? But…how can he think I'm a demon? Because the last time I checked, I was completely human. How…? _Her question was going to remain unanswered because the man had in his rabid fury, drawn out a short dagger and began to stumble toward Rei.

Her first thought was, _What the hell? If I was really a demon, then shouldn't he be running away from _me? But that thought didn't quite have the chance to be fully contemplated because the threat of being mercilessly stabbed to death did loom closely on the horizon.

_Run! Run, you idiot, MOVE IT!_

Right! Rei's legs finally began to respond, and she turned and ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction. She'd never thought of herself as a fast runner, but adrenaline could work miracles when given the chance. She was speeding away; the trees were a blur of green to her. Strangely, she was so numb with fear, she couldn't even feel the thin twigs and underbrush whipping brutally at her face and body. _I have to get away. This guy's insane; he's absolutely nuts!_ Her legs pumped.

Later, she would look upon this incident and not remember anything clearly at all, except for the insistent gnawing of pure terror working away at her stomach and legs. She had never felt so afraid in her life, but then again, there weren't many people who could say that a yelling, hollering man had chased frantically after them with a real dagger clutched in his hand. Rei had never actually been directly threatened with death before and found it an utterly unwelcome and disturbing situation. A small voice in the back of her head was gasping that if ever she managed to survive this assault, she would never ever put herself in this position or anything of the like, again.

She heard the yells of the man die down about a minute after she'd bolted, but she didn't dare stop to check whether he'd actually been left behind or not. She ran for a good five minutes before feeling began to rush back into her legs. For the record, it wasn't a good feeling. She was exhausted. She slowed to a stop, and her eyes darted back. A few breathless moments of inspection, before Rei deemed that the man really had stopped chasing her. She plopped ungracefully on the ground and sucked in air rapidly. She felt intensely grateful to be alive.

Her knuckles were white from clutching the book so hard. She just stared at her hands and tried to catch her breath. _I'm never running. Ever again. If in P.E. they tell me to run, I'll flat out refuse. Actually, I think I'll just sit in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. These legs have endured enough abuse._

Rei's breathing slowed to a normal rate. But her heart was still pounding like crazy. She was still jumpy. Her skin gathered goosebumps. _Relax, _she told herself, in an effort to calm her heartbeat. _No one's there._

Rei took a deep breath, lifted her head up to the sky, and expelled. The sky was a dizzying blue. She lowered her chin and looked ahead.

_Uh oh._ There was most certainly someone there. Thankfully, it wasn't the man. But it was another man. _Or is it a man?_ her brain questioned with confusion. _Who cares what it is, I just want it to go away!_ she thought nervously. _Why is it staring so?_

Standing a few feet in front of Rei, was a tall figure, staring very blatantly at her, with light gold eyes and distinctly long silver hair.

_Crap,_ she thought.

**A/N: Ahhh! I'm pretty freaking excited for this fic, and you should be too. It's 2:30 am on a school night. If I don't get massive amounts of reviews, I'm never doing this again. PS school is currently eating my life, so hopefully the next chapter will be out sometime this weekend. But I'll need motivation. Motivation equals more reviews, in case you were wondering. So review like crazy, my pretties, if you ever want to find out what happens to Rei and this strange silver-haired "it!" Three guesses as to who it is...**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Frowns I don't really like this chapter...so Chapter 2 still stands as my favorite. Eh...what can I do? I tried. I'm pretty sure the next one will be better. I'm getting this one off my hands, before it drives me crazy. Anyway, thanks to brandeee, magicalbrat, valinor's twilight, adela nightmoon, and lady kanna-chan for reviewing the last chapter. please review again! and the rest of you, too!**

**Chapter 3**

Rei was not pleased with this new turn of events. The unidentified being had not ceased its staring yet. It was a little more disdainful now, if anything, which was not really a promising thing.

It was elaborately and elegantly dressed it sparkling white, touched with a honeycomb emblem on the shoulders and sleeves. It was wearing black boots and armor on one shoulder. It stood very still, very straight, very proud, and continued it's visual assault. She wanted to cringe from his eyes and felt slightly violated. She forcibly raised her chin and tried to meet his golden gaze.

Upon closer examination, Rei reached a decision. She was pretty sure that it was a man. And the strange man had a hugely distinctive- _pelt was it? _–on his right shoulder. Hugely was definitely in the literal sense. It enveloped the right side of his body. And his fashion wasn't the only kinky thing that was going on. Rei found herself hopelessly trying to explain away shimmering silver hair and golden eyes. _Maybe he dyed it? Colored contacts? Albino?_ It wasn't working too well. Especially since she found her brain drifting toward the direction of _he does have very pretty hair_ which was hardly a rational thought at the moment, seeing as he didn't seem like the kind of person who was easily taken by flattery, and simply thinking it made her feel suspiciously like she was not concentrating fully on the situation at hand.

_He is glaring daggers at me? What did I ever do to him?_ she wondered nervously. She thought of just getting up and walking away, but somehow, it seemed like that wouldn't work out too well. And he was apparently not the friendly neighbor type. Rei eyed the two swords strapped at his waist uneasily. _Eheh. This isn't just a crazy psychotic farmer freak with a short, blunt dagger. This is a guy who knows what he's doing, and those are probably really dangerous weapons. And he probably doesn't carry around dangerous weapons for no good reason. Nope. They're probably used to chop innocent girls like me into tiny pieces. I feel like I'm stuck in some sort of freak show. I need to get out of here!_ Rei found herself slightly panicked, and strove to suppress the minor hysteria that was clawing up her throat. The calmer part of her brain interjected that, friend or foe, it would be useful to ask him some basic questions first, and as long as he wasn't a raving lunatic, he would probably answer them before drawing his sword and killing her. _Which is better than dying ignorant, I suppose._ She told her panic-stricken mind to shut up, for it wasn't improving the current dilemma at all.

She opened her mouth to ask a question, but quickly and rather unpleasantly found her throat suddenly dry and her tongue paralyzed. It had never been so difficult to ask a question before, but his rude glare was half-terrifying her and half-irritating her. Before she could arrange her thoughts into any organized sequence, she blurted out, "Don't you know that it's rude to stare?"

_Oh, shit._

She had no idea what made her mind immediately link this man with death, but his expression and the position of his hand on the hilt of a sword, probably had a lot to do with it. She sensed that he was probably very extremely prone to offense and quick to anger. And she, being the brilliant and tactful speaker that she was, had undoubtedly just pushed all of the wrong buttons at once, the first being to speak at all, the second being to have the nerve to correct his manners, and the third probably being brazen enough to be in his way. Vaguely, she wondered if his swordsmanship was good enough to make the death slice a clean and painless one. _Perhaps this place induces a slight case of deliriousness. _That would certainly explain her stupidity right now. She closed her eyes and began to count the last few seconds of her life slowly and deliberately.

_One._

_Two._

_Three._

_Four._

_Five._

_Six._

_Seven?_

She cracked an eyelid and saw that he was still there and hadn't moved. _Good. Maybe he went temporarily deaf. Please let it be so, _she prayed.

"What makes you believe that I should care?" the man said smoothly, with a definite air of arrogance.

_Damn it. He heard me. Well, looking on the bright side, I'm still alive. Which is all that I could ask for at this moment. Except for maybe a large huggable teddy bear._

Rei wondered whether he wanted an answer or not. She had a hazy instinct that if she answered, her impudence might cause him to reconsider his current state of "non-killing." But it was becoming increasingly awkward for her to simply sit there and gawp at him like an idiot. _There's got to be something I can ask him._ The problem was, that she couldn't think of anything that would really help her out. She mulled over her options. _I could ask him how to get home, but most likely, he has no idea where "home" is and judging from his attitude, wouldn't tell me even if he knew. I could ask him for directions to the nearest city, so at least I can go somewhere decent to sleep. But probably, again, he wouldn't tell me, just to spite me, and I'm not even exactly sure I want to go to a city. The first two people I've met definitely haven't impressed me with their superior hospitality. I could ask him where I am right now. Yes. That might possibly help. But if he tells me I'm in Oz or something…well…I just hope that I'm not._ She stood up and brushed the some stray leaves off of her skirt. She inclined her head politely and asked, "Um, what is this place?"

The wording sounded a lot more stupid out loud than it did in her head.

The man stared incredulously at her. "This happens to be a forest," he said carefully.

_You're kidding right? You've got to be kidding me. _Rei rolled her eyes. "How thick do you think I am? Yeah, I figured out that much, thanks. I meant, does this place have a name?" she said loudly. _Wow, this guy is a load of hot gas. And to think, I was scared of him!_ Mentally, she scoffed. Just mentally though, in case he really was in the mood to slice her head off.

His gaze was steady as he spoke again. "It's called Inuyasha's forest." He fell silent again.

Rei was jolted by surprise. _Inuyasha…there's that name again! But, that was just a fairytale, a story. How can this place be his forest? Where am I? Did I somehow get stuck in this story? No! It's not my story; I shouldn't be here! _A horrible thought struck her. _That legend was set back in the Sengoku Jidai; the Feudal Era! Am I in the Feudal Era? _Her mind immediately traveled back to the tales her grandma told her.

…_And she landed in the Sengoku Jidai…_

No, it's not right. It can't be. Stories are just that: stories. It's not scientifically possible to time travel yet, and Inuyasha isn't even real. _It's just some silly tale Grandma told me to before I went to bed. Nobody thinks he's real…except Grandma…and she's crazy. Officially, medically pronounced insane. This has got to be a nightmare, just a bad dream. Wake up, Rei, wake up!_ She pinched herself hard. Nope. She was still here. She groaned. _Does that mean I'm really in the Sengoku Jidai? Is Inuyasha real?_

Rei didn't realize that she had voiced the last bit out loud, so she was startled when the man began to talk. His tone was very clearly one of annoyance and distaste. "Inuyasha? He's real enough." And that was it.

"Oh." Rei thought hard. How could she make this information help her any? "Well…" she drew out hesitantly, "Do you know him?" Which was probably a stupid question, since, just because there was a forest named after him, did not mean he was still alive, as most places were named after dead people. _This Inuyasha guy must have done something significant, for good or bad. He has a whole _forest_ named after him._ That was quite an accomplishment.

"Unfortunately yes."

Unfortunately? Did that mean it was a bad thing? In the long run, it didn't matter too much, because it was the only lead Rei had, and she was going to follow it. "Do you know where he is?" she asked breathlessly. Maybe Inuyasha could help her. _Inuyasha's real. I didn't believe it before. Grandma said she knew him. I wouldn't have believed that, either, but since everything else she's said has suddenly turned out to be true, I might as well give her a chance. Grandma almost hero-worshiped him. That means he can't be a bad guy, right?_

"I don't keep track of that half-breed's whereabouts," he stated plainly, as if he was saying something as mundane as _I have silver hair, _or _I think you're a silly-faced idiot._

Hm. That would be a problem, wouldn't it? But on the bright side, this man probably wasn't the only guy around here who knew something about Inuyasha. Anyone who lived around the forest would know some information. Then it hit her. _Hold up, what? Half-breed? What's that supposed to mean? He's not _all _of something? He's not…_human? _Oh dear God. I remember now. Grandma said he was a hanyou. He's half-demon, that's what he is! _Rei suddenly remembered the crazy farmer man chasing her with a dagger, screaming "demon, demon!" This was a world of demons. This was definitely the Sengoku Jidai. _Oh no. Oh no oh no oh noooo. Demons are around every corner here. This silver-haired man standing in front of me…he's not a man! He must be a demon! I'm pretty sure I haven't ever seen _anyone _with natural silver hair before. Yeah, I've seen those American platinum blondes, but this is different. This is undeniably silver. Pure, you-can't-say-anything-to-change-that, silver. And I've just been babbling stupidly to an armed, classically sword-trained _demon _Oh yeah, this is good. Any wrong move (I've must have made at least twenty by now), and he'll kill me for sure._

She wanted very badly to run away as fast as she possibly could, but no doubt, with his superior speed, he would catch her if he wanted to. Rei wasn't stupid. She knew more than most kids did about these demons. Grandma had told her all sorts of tales and such, and she happened to be the most reliable source at the moment. _Who'd have thought that Grandma actually knew what she was talking about?_ Rei wished long and hard that she had paid more attention to her grandmother's rants. Well, at least one thing was solved. She had firmly decided that she was not going to ask this demon any more questions, and asking for help was permanently out of the question. But now what? She could go seeking Inuyasha, for demon as he was, he did have human blood, and supposedly, he had once known her grandma. And as long as she could keep him at bay long enough to hear her out, he might not want to kill her immediately.

The silvery-white demon abruptly turned on his heel to go. "I've had enough of this. I came to see what all the commotion was about, and all I found was a useless human girl. And I have no business with humans." He disappeared into the darkness of the woods in the blink of an eye, so fast, that Rei almost missed him.

"Wait, you! I'm not done! Come back!" She didn't mean to say that, for she didn't _really_ want a potentially threatening demon to be anywhere near her, but it was getting dark, and she was getting desperate. "Stop, please!" But he was gone.

Rei stood there, staring into the exact place where he had vanished. She sat down and stared blankly at the ground. The bottom-most edge of the sun was now touching the horizon. It would be dark within the hour. And she would be by herself at night, in a different time, in a different place, in a completely different world. She hugged her knees to her chest. She suddenly felt very small and alone. "Mom, Dad, Grandma, anyone. I wish someone was here with me," she said miserably to no one in particular. Even begging to go with that demon now seemed like a good idea.

Rei stood up and her eyes traveled to the direction of the well. _I'll go there, _she thought quietly. She bent over, picked up the scuffed book, and held it tightly. It was the only familiar thing that she had. Other than the well. Impulsively, she began to run toward it, blocking out everything from her head. She noted the growing darkness in the forest, chasing her, threatening to consume her. She ran faster. Nothing else mattered. _The well, the well, the well, _she chanted in her head. Somehow, it held the key. The soft turf beneath her feet was silent as she whisked by. The trees rustled, as if imparting some secret message upon her. She ran.

And suddenly, before she knew it, the well was there, silent and implacable as ever. She stopped. It looked incredibly lonely and foreign in the middle of the clearing. The sun was sinking beneath the earth, and it washed everything in its path a brilliant, glowing red. The well looked as if it had been lacquered with red polish. Rei tentatively took a step toward it, and then another step. She had reached it. She realized hazily that the well in the Sengoku Jidai had no cover. The depths of deep blackness stared back unrepentantly at her. _The well took me here. It better take me back. I just want to go home._ She knelt in the soft grass surrounding the wooden well. She swung her legs over slowly and braced herself. She pushed off gently.

She hit the ground jarringly, and her knees buckled. She toppled to the ground. In the few moments of sitting on the earthy well bottom, Rei flared up in furious anger. "No!" She stood up and climbed up the ladder. Nothing was going to keep her from getting across to the other side. When she reached the top, she jumped again. She landed hard, and the impact almost knocked the air out of her lungs. Again! Rei raced up the ladder, heaving with each breath now, and leapt with ferocious force off the side. She crashed to the ground and crumpled. "Stupid, damn well! Let me through!" She rammed her fingers into the packed dirt of the bottom and started wildly ripping soil from the ground. She burrowed her fingers in deeper. "I don't care! You will let me through! You can't just leave me here!" As she worked steadily, a hot tear dropped heavily on her hand. It jerked her to her senses. She removed her fingers from the dirt and lifted them to eye-level. They were blackened from the earth, and dirt had gotten under her fingernails. Her knees were dirty too, stained with brown soil.

Rei was never one to like crying. In fact, if she were watching something like this from afar, she might possibly have snorted and called the person in question a sissy. She didn't matter anymore. She retreated to a corner of the well and leaned up against it. She didn't care that her eyes were puffy and red from crying and that her face was streaked with mucus and tears. No one was here to see her. _This is all wrong. _When she had first crawled out of the well, it was all just some pleasant adventure. It was warm and sunny and afternoon. Now it was dark and chilly and evening. It was just a dream, just a story. Just a fairytale. _Fairytales aren't supposed to be like this. _Even meeting the demon was only an extra little side-plot. None of it had really hit home, had really sunk in, had really been truly comprehended. Now, she felt the full reality of "just a fairytale." _Why am I so stupid? Why didn't I think of getting back into the well when I first came out? Maybe the portal closed or something in the hour that I was gone for. It's too late now._

_I want to go home._

So she sat there, and sniffled for a bit. It was very obviously dark outside now. When she looked up, Rei could see the stars sparkling in an ink black sky. And that's when the cold hit her.

It was very cold at night. She hadn't thought that it might possibly be a bad idea to try to stay the night outside. Late spring as it was, the nights were still substantially chilly. Chilly enough for her to get sick. And since she was stuck in some bygone era, she highly doubted that there would be medicine for when she did get ill. Rei reluctantly got up, dusted off her skirt, and wiped her face as best as she could. As tired and as defeated as she was, she had to go find someone, somewhere, who might lend her a roof for the night. It hardly depended on whether or not she was tired. Regardless, she had to go on. This was real life, not a fairytale. And in real life, it was frighteningly possible for her to catch pneumonia or get hurt or any number of unpleasant things to happen to her.

She climbed out of the well. It was nighttime. The forest was dark. Noises drifted discontentedly out from between the trees.

Rei glanced around hopelessly. There wasn't any lead as to which direction she should go, and she didn't want to trounce blindly through the woods at night. But there wasn't any choice. If she hadn't sat around like an idiot and cried, then it might still be light outside. Well, it was over, and nothing could be done about that. She picked a random direction again and began to walk.

xXx

That had been about two hours ago. And there was still no sign of life. Rei hadn't seen anyone since the demon had appeared to her. The crazy farmer was definitely long gone. Rei wished that she had watched where he went. It was pitch black in the forest, and she could hardly see the path in front of her. A flashlight would have been her best friend at this point. Something small and furry scampered across her path.

Rei sneezed. The cold and her uniform were not working too well together. She felt a throbbing headache begin to build up behind her eyes. Her throat was dry and uncomfortable. She wished fervently for a glass of water, some aspirins, and a big sweater. The book was still tightly clutched between her cold fingers. It was taking quite a beating by the stray branches and twigs. One branch had actually caught one of the pages and ripped it. Rei had stuffed the half-page into the book hastily and moved on. She would pay later for destroying Saitou-sensei's precious item. If she ever saw him again, that was. She tried to ignore that thought, and instead, concentrated on how horrible she was feeling right now. Her legs were sore, and she had accumulated even more scratches, so that now she looked like some cat had decided to sharpen its claws on her skin.

Something caught her eye. A flickering yellow glow. There it was again. What was it? Rei crept closer. Fire? A torch! It had to be a person. Rei felt ten times more awake and stumbled quickly in that direction. She tried to follow it without alerting whoever was carrying the torch of her presence. She didn't want another mad rampant run through the forest, in the dark, and this time she might not be so lucky. She shuddered as she remembered the farmer man.

She struggled to keep up, as the underbrush was readily getting in her way. The glow was growing more and more intense, meaning that she was closer. Rei could make out the fuzzy form of a man. The figure wavered. Rei rubbed her eyes vigorously. They weren't meshing images; she could see double.

She would never be able to remember that trek again, silent and cold, dreamy and surreal. Before she knew it, it was over. She had reached the edge of the forest, and she was in a very large clearing. There were torches all around, surrounding clusters of simply made huts. _I'm in a village,_ she thought with surprise. The man she had been following headed toward a hut in the middle. A little dazedly, Rei trailed him into the heart of the village.

The man entered a tiny hut. Rei was all alone outside. She felt vaguely stupid for standing outside someone's house and just gaping at it. She was the only one. It was quiet in the village, like everyone had gone to sleep already. There was one hut that was still lit. Rei wandered over to it. Someone was cooking inside, and she could smell the scents of food drifting out, whetting her appetite. She was famished. Suddenly, she felt immensely tired, and her eyes refused to focus. Sloppily, she knocked on the door and called out, "Someone, help me. Please!" She felt like she was ready to collapse. She gripped the book tightly in one hand, and supported herself by placing the other steadily on the door.

The door opened, and Rei almost fell forward, right into the bosom of an old, stout-looking woman. She was dressed in the clothes of a shrine maiden. Rei had seen her grandmother don them before, for holidays or special occasions. But she was in the Sengoku Jidai. Was this then, a real miko? She wavered slightly. She assumed so. And mikos were bound to help others, right? Even a strangely dressed young girl who shows up on her doorstep.

"Miko-sama," she began weakly, before stopping. She didn't know what to ask. She seemed to have this problem a lot. _One problem at a time,_ she thought sleepily. "May I stay here for the night? Please?" Rei wobbled again. Her legs had decided not to support her. She felt very hot, then very cold again. _Oh good. A fever. Just what I need._

Rei looked pleadingly into the face of the old woman and noticed that the miko had an eyepatch. _I wonder what happened to her eye?_ she thought dimly. She struggled to stay conscious. Just in case the miko decided to leave her out in the cold. Or worse.

Rei heard a definite, "Who are ye, girl?" before the world faded, and she fell into the welcome embrace of soft, velvety darkness. _Sleep,_ she thought. And so she did.

**A/N: So what did you think? Horrific? Yes, me too. I can't stress how much I want you to review, though. Yeah, if you're gonna read it, leave me one! To make me happy. It brightens my day, oh so much. Oh yes, I almost forgot. Just out of curiosity, who did YOU think the silver-haired man was in Chapter 2?**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Whoo! Here's Chapter 4. Reviewers from the last chapter: Wandering Hitokiri, Chibi Inuyasha Lover 4ever, Valinor's Twilight, and White Alchemist Taya. Much thanks, and extra kudos to you who favorited and alerted! Reviews for this chapter will be highly cherished and appreciated. In fact, I save all of them into a special folder! So review, and be loved! **

**Chapter 4**

There was a measure of murmuring rippling about in the background, like an annoying bug buzzing around in Rei's ear. She tried to shake it off and go back to sleep, but it was very insistent. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly. _Go to sleep,_ she commanded herself. _I don't want to go to school yet. Five more minutes!_ Almost subconsciously, she tried to make out who was speaking. There was an old woman who wasn't Grandma and several girls and boys. There was one boy who easily stood out from the rest, louder and more obnoxious sounding. _Shut up, please! I want to sleep!_ It was so warm and soft, so very lovely; sleep beckoned to her with open arms. She could feel herself drifting back into dreamland.

"Sit!"

Nope. No sleeping now. One of the girls had just raised her voice deliberately, and that word, Rei could definitely hear. Though who or what the girl was telling to sit, Rei did not know. She grumbled to herself. _Maybe Mom is having guests over. But why this early in the morning?_ She reluctantly opened her eyes. _Hm. What is this?_ She was facing a wall, and it was a very plain, dun-colored, undecorated wall. In other words, it was not Rei's room. _Where am I? _she wondered sleepily. _Sleepover?_ was her first, somewhat drunken thought. _Oh well. I don't care. Time for bed._ She groaned, rolled over, and tried to rearrange her limbs into a more comfortable position.

"Hey, look! She's awake now!" a tiny, childish voice squealed.

_No, this girl was certainly NOT awake, but thank you very much, I am now, dearest child, whoever you are, _she griped in one continuous thought. She willed herself to block out the noise. Too late. Several people were walking up to her now, and she could vaguely make out their darkened outlines in the reddish glow behind her eyelids. _Whatever you do, don't open your eyes, and maybe they'll go away,_ she thought hopefully. _Please just go away. Please. Please…_

"What the hell's wrong with you, wench? You've slept for a whole twelve hours!"

Rei snapped her eyes open. It was light outside now, and she found her vision still a little fuzzy from sleep. A tall, red-clad figure stood in front of her bed, the one who presumably spoke so rudely to her, his hands clasped defiantly at his waist. Her eyes had finally begun to work, but her mind was still a bit incoherent; sleep did these things to her. _Hm, _she thought groggily, _another silver-haired, golden-eyed man. Exactly how many of those are there around here? More than really is necessary, _she decided. _And apparently, having that shade of hair and eyes, immediately makes you an anal asshole. Jeez, would it kill you to be more polite?_ She lay there, thinking this, completely oblivious to the fact that she was hanging out of the bed like an albatross, her eyes still dull with sleep, so that she looked as if she were either mute or stupid.

"Inuyasha, stop being such a jerk! She must have been really tired," one of the girls scolded.

That ripped Rei from her thoughts. She bolted up in bed and looked at the group of people gathered at the bed. There was the red-clothed boy whom she now noticed had strange dog-shaped ears on top of his head, a man dressed in black-purple robes, a girl in a pink kimono and a green apron skirt, a small red-haired child, an old woman in miko clothing, and a girl in a green and white sailor fuku. At that, all of her memories from the day before came flooding back, and she remembered everything about being in the Sengoku Jidai. Oh yes, she had recalled the presence of strange silvery-gold men upon waking, but that thought was disembodied from the rest of her memory banks, and she had not even stopped to think about how out of place a silver-haired man would be in the modern day. So who were these people? She looked around and took in their appearances. They all looked ready made for the Feudal Era, except the one. The one who was wearing a school uniform, very similar to her own.

It was here that Rei looked down and realized with dismay that she was still wearing the uniform. It was slightly fraying due to the harsh treatment it had received in the last twenty-four hours. And she suddenly felt quite disgusted with herself for keeping it on overnight. She felt inevitably grungy and was mightily sure that she probably smelled somewhat…interesting, to say the least.

"Hey, are you mute or what? Aren't you gonna say something?" the rude boy interjected again. The white and green girl hit him again. "Be polite!"

Rei found that she liked this white and green girl. So she said something. "Yeah, I can talk, thanks very much." She threw a grateful glance at the white and green girl. It occurred to her to actually ask for their names. "Who are you people?" she asked bluntly. _Okay, so it probably could have come out better than that._

The silver-haired boy glared. "First tell us who you are. You're hardly in a position to be questioning." Rei opened her mouth to protest, and most likely come up with something incredibly childish like _I asked you first_, but the green and white girl cut her off. "Yes, who are you?" She asked in such a polite, friendly voice that Rei could hardly refuse to answer.

"My name's Rei Nakamura. I'm…lost." It wasn't the most articulate thing she could've said, but then again, she had just woken up a few minutes ago, rather unpleasantly by a yelling dog-eared boy. She frowned ferociously at the silver-haired, doggy boy. "And I could use some help getting back home," she added hopefully.

The little red-haired boy looked up at her innocently with his startlingly green eyes. Then he glanced back at the green and white girl and poked her. "Kagome, this girl looks a lot like you," he said, his eyes swiveling back to gaze at Rei curiously. _So the green and white girl's name is Kagome._

The purple-black clad man said, "You're right, Shippo. She does. How very odd."

Kagome told them both to hush and smiled kindly back at Rei. "Let's introduce ourselves first. I'm Kagome. The rude boy-" she gestured at the silver-haired boy "-is Inuyasha." Then she pointed out the black and purple-clad man, who was apparently a monk named Miroku, and the sweet-looking girl in pink and green was Sango. The little red-haired boy was a kitsune named Shippo. _Kitsune?_ _More demons? Well, that shouldn't be too much of a surprise. The doggy-eared boy was a half-demon. Inuyasha. Right. _Rei decided that they looked like nice people. _Wait. Inuyasha? The Inuyasha? This is amazing luck. Now he'll be able to help me get back home! I don't know how, but he knows Grandma! And that means he must know something about where I live._

"Are you the same Inuyasha that the forest is named after?" she blurted out frantically. _It's got to be the same one! He'll be able to help me! _Everyone looked at her strangely. Rei bit her lip and fiddled with the hem of the blanket. Finally, Inuyasha spoke. "Yeah. It's named after me. So what?"

Rei grinned. "Then you'll be able to help me! My grandma knew who you were. Her name was—" Rei stopped. _Grandma's name was Kagome. Just like this girl. And Shippo even said that I looked like Kagome. Does that mean…this girl is my grandma? That's not possible! If I'd gone back in time, it must have been exactly five hundred years back. Why would I have gone back an extra fifty years? Is this girl even my grandma? Am I in the Sengoku Jidai, or am I somewhere else?_

Inuyasha interrupted her thoughts. "What was your grandma's name? Was she human? 'Cause I didn't talk to humans back then." Rei wasn't sure whether she should tell him anymore. Her mind had suddenly twisted around and around itself until she could hardly understand the direction her thoughts had taken. _If this Kagome is Grandma, then I can't tell her, can I? What if I mess up fate and destiny, or I screw up something really bad, like the time space continuum? Would that change who Grandma married? What if she didn't have Dad? What if even I disappear? No, I definitely can't tell her!_

Rei smiled awkwardly. "Never mind. It must have been someone else." Inuyasha snorted.

Kagome spoke up. "You're from the modern era, just like me, aren't you?" The rest of the group looked confused. She continued, "You're wearing a school uniform too. In fact, I bet you're from Tokyo. Otherwise, I don't know how you'd get here. How did you get here, anyway?" she asked. The rest of the group nodded simultaneously. The monk said, "How interesting. You mean she's from your world, Kagome?"

Rei nodded vigorously, happy that someone had some idea of who she was. Except, she felt immensely discomfited now. She was sure that Kagome was her Grandma. The resemblance was astonishing. _How weird is it to see your grandma as a teenager? She can't be much older than me. _Rei tried to think about exactly how she got here. "I went into an old well house at the shrine, and my book fell into the well. I jumped into it to get the book, and I landed over here. But I don't know how to get back, and where exactly is 'here' anyhow?" she said in one big breath.

Kagome smiled indulgently. "This may come as a bit of a shock to you, but you're in Feudal Era Japan. But the good news is that it'll be easy for you to get back home," she explained patiently. Rei nodded weakly. _So I really am in the Sengoku Jidai. Didn't really believe it until now._ "But the well doesn't work for me. I don't know why. I tried jumping back in, and it wouldn't let me through. Does it always work for you?" Rei asked uncertainly.

Kagome looked shocked. She nodded slowly. "It's always worked for me. Except for a few times, but that was because of some easily figured complications." She shot an annoyed glare at Inuyasha. The entire group swiveled its gaze at Inuyasha. Sango muttered, "He's so _stupid_ to make her angry all the time." Inuyasha's ears flicked comically, and he growled at her. Kagome rolled her eyes and tried to avert the group from the skirmish. "That's not the point. It's never not worked for a reason."

Inuyasha nosed in, "Yeah! Maybe you didn't do it right. It always works for me too. Are you sure you tried the same well? The Bone Eater's Well?" he asked.

"Yeah. Trust me. I nearly beat the thing to death."

Kagome thoughtfully chewed her bottom lip. "I suppose we could try again. But either way, don't worry about it. We'll help you out."

Inuyasha stared incredulously. "Hey, wait a minute! We will? When did we decide this? What about the Shikon shards!" Kagome rolled her eyes in response. "Don't be ridiculous, of course we'll help her. You're always so selfish, Inuyasha." Sango grinned and apparently agreed. Kagome looked over at Rei. "We'll get you back home. Don't you worry."

Somehow, Rei felt much more reassured. She was even more at ease now. It was simply too difficult to imagine this sweet, carefree girl as her old, insane grandmother. There was a slight physical resemblance perhaps, but Kagome's expression was hopeful and cheery, while Grandma's was haggard and forlorn. Rei felt a stab of guilt. She didn't want Kagome to become like Grandma. Grandma and her crazy stories and loony obsession with Inuyasha. No one like Kagome deserved to end up with such a wretched fate.

"But in the meantime, you probably feel pretty nasty right now, being in the same clothes and all. I feel the same way when I'm back here. Sango and I can take you to a nice hot spring not too far away from here, and we can all take a hot bath. You'll feel much better." Rei grinned happily. "You absolutely read my mind."

For the first time, the old woman stepped forward; the one dressed in miko garments. "Of course, Kagome. I'm sure Rei would enjoy a bath. But ye must come back soon for lunch. And on a more serious note, I would like to here the girl explain in detail how she came to the Sengoku Jidai. And perhaps what purpose she is supposed to fulfill in these times," she said solemnly. Rei nodded in response. She suddenly remembered something important. "Oh! I almost forgot! When I came here last night, I had a red book with me. Do you have it?" she asked anxiously.

"Yes. I put over on the table. Is it important to you?" the old woman said curiously.

"I suppose it is."

The old woman smiled kindly and retrieved the book. It looked careworn and friendly. Rei took it protectively into her hands. She loved its rough, yet gentle feel against her fingers. One of the gold letters, "S" in "Sengoku" had begun to peel. Rei promised herself that she would fix it once she got home. _How odd that I should sometimes hate this book's very presence, and sometimes, I miss it like an old friend. I guess it's because the book is the only thing I have back here. _

xXx

The hot bath was heavenly. Rei felt like she was scrubbing away all of her troubles. Her hair had been surprisingly grimy, considering that she had just washed it the morning before. But trudging through a medieval Japan had not exactly done wonders for her appearance. She was terribly grateful that Kagome knew the essentials of modern life and had actually come prepared. The shampoo and conditioner were wonderful, and all the bath oils and fragrant soaps: Rei was amazed that it all fit in her yellow backpack. It was almost magical. And as an extra bonus, she washed her clothes in a nearby cold stream and hung them to dry. In the meantime, she was lent a set of miko clothes, which fit her well enough.

Lunch was delicious. The fact that she hadn't eaten since noon yesterday probably contributed her willingness to consume foreign foods, but she was happy she had, because it was utterly scrumptious. That was one of her faults, that she did not like to try new foods, but she swore to herself that she would try to overcome it, because being picky in the Sengoku Jidai might result in not getting any food at all. Though, again, Kagome's pack of supplies came in handy, with a large supply of Ramen, which apparently, was Inuyasha's favorite food. He had refused Kaede's (the old woman's name, whom she had previously discovered) stew over the instant noodles. Rei had some of the Ramen as well; her portion of stew definitely did not suffice to her raging appetite. Though she suspected that that did not get her on good terms with doggy boy, because he nearly mauled her for the remainder of the Ramen. Kagome stopped him in time, thankfully.

Now, clean and full, she had begun to tell them her story, which she was finding rather difficult. She wanted to tell them everything, after all, the more they knew, the easier they would find it to get her home. But there were several complications to the whole situation. She realized that Inuyasha _was_ in the legend in her book. And revealing that to him could potentially change the future, for better or for worse. And she was still unsure of who the warrior girl was in the story. Perhaps it was Kagome? But Kagome did not know anything of the sword fighting arts. She was an archer, but she herself admitted that she was an absolute idiot when it came to swords.

Rei held the book face down on her lap, so that the others could not read the gold lettering on the cover. She talked and talked for about an hour straight, until her voice became hoarse and scratchy.

"So you met another silver-haired demon with gold eyes?" Miroku asked curiously. Rei nodded. "Do you know him?" she said.

The group exchanged dark glances. Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, but Kagome cut him off. "No, no, it's not important." She shot a piercing glare at Inuyasha and murmured something under her breath that Rei could not quite catch. _So they know who this guy is. Why won't they tell me?_ Rei decided not to press it, because she hardly cared so much, and they obviously had a good reason not to, but the careful concealing of his identity showed her that this man was probably not someone good.

Kagome smiled, a bit strained, and tried to steer her into another direction. "You tried the well, did you? I don't know why it doesn't work; it has been working for me," she said again. "Maybe you should try again later."

Inside the privacy of her mind, Rei grimaced. It sounded like something about as sympathetic as a computer would come up with when a website wasn't working. Maybe you should try again later. Maybe Kagome had not felt what it was like to be stuck somewhere she did not belong. In an odd way, Kagome _belonged_ in the Sengoku Jidai, with Inuyasha and Sango and Miroku and Shippo. Rei felt a small, insistent bubble of sadness well up into her throat, when she remembered that Kagome would not stay here for long. _Kagome goes back to the future, to her home, which is not her home. To her family, which is not her family. _

Rei closed her eyes and tried to stave off the sudden wave of sadness that threatened to overwhelm her. It was all wrong, so very wrong. Rei did _not _belong in the past and never would; she could not simply "try again later." She would be stuck here forever, for the rest of her life, and the world in the future would pass her by before it even happened, and she would not be remembered. And her grandmother would be stuck in the future while the past forgot about her, forgot about a girl that was long gone, in a world that had not come to pass, would never come to pass. And time and eras and stories would twine together, around and around, until one could not be distinguished from the other. Tears pricked Rei's eyelids. _And only I will ever know…_

_Only I._

**A/N: I hope to pick up the pace significantly in the next chapter. Let the adventure begin... I also hope to get enough reviewers so that my author's note won't even fit all of them! Please review! Each review makes my extraordinarily dull week much happier. Writing this makes my day. Reviews make my life! Revew, review, review!**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Yay for Homecoming weekend! This is Chapter 5, very happy that I got it done. Much gratitude to: Chibi Inuyasha Lover 4ever, brandeee, White Alchemist Taya, Wandering Hitokiri, Valinor's Twilight, and My Soul Is Your Puppet. Thank you for your reviews, I shall love you forever! Please enjoy the story, and come back next Friday for the next installment (in case you haven't figured out the pattern yet, I post every Friday, unless the chapter doesn't get completed, then I wait for the next weekend).**

**Chapter 5**

_How incredibly unfair!_ Rei fumed silently for six days now. Kagome and her group had left again for their mismatching, jumbled adventure, which involved demon-slaying, Naraku-searching, jewel shard-finding, and a random assortment of any other assignments they ran across. Kagome was simply too nice, Inuyasha griped, for she would insist on helping every living soul, sometimes even _not_ living souls, and it cut heavily into their "adventure" time. Rei was still rather confused as to what their whole goal was. She had not met this Naraku character, but apparently, he was the bad guy, who had done very bad things that Kagome had not elaborated on, Inuyasha had cursed about, Sango had cried about, and Miroku had ground his teeth about. Rei had safely decided to stay away from that subject.

But when all was said and done, Rei was stuck here with Kaede, the old miko. Kagome had hardly given her any ideas with how to get through the well except a "try again later" and an apologetic look. She had asked Kaede to help, but Rei highly doubted that Kaede had any plans either. Rei was left with nothing to do, except hope that the well would one day open again. She had tried jumping in the well with Kagome in hopes that the well would carry them both back, but instead, Kagome disappeared and Rei landed with a loud plop at the bottom. Minutes later, Kagome reappeared, and there was nothing for it. They went back to the hut, and Rei cried a bit more, leaning on Kagome's shoulder and getting her back rubbed comfortingly. It seemed like something her mom or grandma would do and only succeeded in making her cry harder. Needless to say, Kagome did not let Rei try again that day.

Now Kagome had left. Kaede told her that she would only be able to go back home if and when fate willed it, so there was nothing to do but wait. It wasn't terribly good advice in Rei's disgruntled opinion and a rather difficult bit for her to swallow. Thus, to occupy herself, Rei consented to make herself useful to the village and help around with Kaede. It was excruciatingly boring, but there wasn't anything else. To Rei's surprise, the dull, droning every day monotony of the village had lulled her into a comfortable routine, and she found it hard to remember that she had been unhappy and confused only a couple of days before. Another surprising and rather unwelcoming discovery was exactly what mikos did in their respective villages. She had no idea that miko work involved so much gunk and hard work. She had previously believed that there was perhaps a bit of purification, a tad of demon exorcism, complicated things that she, a simple modern era girl, would have no hope at helping with. But that was not the case at all. Mikos were apparently the resident "doctors" tending everything from a simple fever to fractured bones to amputation. Rei was not one to get squeamish over blood, but the past six days had showed her that watching Kaede wrench bones back into place was something that even her hardy stomach could not handle.

"Hold it steady, please, Rei! Ye don't want to have to do it again, do ye?" Kaede yelled over the noise. Rei was very unhappily holding a man's arm in place while Kaede examined it. She had just discovered that it was fractured, and the two bones were not matched up together. Kaede would have to push the two pieces of bone back into place. The man was apparently as unhappy as Rei was with this, as he was screaming loudly and painfully, which was why Kaede was yelling. Rei gritted her teeth and clenched the man's arm tightly; he was trying to flail around and that would simply result in a worse injury. Kaede waved her aside and took over. Rei breathed a sigh of relief; she vowed that she would never ever go into the medical profession. Granted, the modern era provided much more advanced technology, and doctors would almost certainly not be shifting bones back into place by hand, but it was the principle of it. Rei waited for and soon heard the grind of bone on bone, and the man's agonizing cries escalated in noise and urgency. Minutes later, the screams had died down into mere whimpers, and he was all done up in a sling. _One down, two million more to go,_ Rei thought unhelpfully. _Really, how many people can get so drastically hurt in a day?_ It seemed like there was an endless line of patients, an endless supply of problems, an endless number of treatments and medications to learn.

Rei didn't understand it at all. Kaede was teaching her in earnest how to cure things, different herbs, and how to do simple spells and such. _Why? I'm just waiting to go back home, and she's acting as if I'm an apprentice. I have no purpose here. Kagome is supposed to find the jewel shards and kill Naraku, whoever he is. I have absolutely nothing to do. Why do I have to learn all this stuff?_ Rei supposed that she should be grateful that Kaede was a patient, kind old woman who taught with great forbearance and talent. But she had no reason to learn this sort of thing. She was not going to stay in the past. She would drop dead before she decided to be a miko and have to deal with _this_ all day.

"This one is called 'feverfew.' It is very good with almost everything. Swelling, fevers, coughing, insect bites, and sedation," Kaede instructed calmly, showing her all of the characteristics and where to find it.

Rei felt compelled to ask. "Why are you teaching me this?" she asked plainly. "I'm going back home, aren't I? I don't need this sort of knowledge. We have medicines we can buy in the modern era," she added, in case Kaede didn't know that from Kagome already.

Kaede simply looked at her serenely and smiled. "Oh, I'm sure ye will find it useful one day. Ye never know when things might come in handy." It seemed like a stupid reason to Rei; she might as well learn how to juggle fire torches, that might come in handy one day too. What was wrong with these people in the past? _Try again later? It'll come in handy?_ She would never be able to have their mindset, thus, would never ever understand their train of reasoning. She sighed in exasperation and mundanely continued listening to Kaede talk.

_How much longer will I have to stay here? Is this my fate? To stay in the past and become apprentice to a miko? I don't want it! I don't want any of this! I want to go back home and be a regular girl and live a regular life…this…can't be for me. I refuse to stay here!_ Rei felt that oh so familiar feeling of panic welling up in her again, and she struggled to bury it under her calm visage. It was difficult. Her frenzy was bubbling up steadily, threatening to drown her in its fervor. She looked to Kaede. "Please, can we stop for today? I want to clear my mind," Rei interrupted in midsentence.

Kaede looked a little surprised. "Of course, Rei," she said.

Rei thanked her and began to go back to the hut. The forest was lovely, and she liked it. The air was fresh and clean, lightly scented with pine, but it was where Kaede always took her to find herbs, and right now, she was a bit sick of herbs. She hoped that she would develop amnesia soon and forget all those stupidly complicated names that were constantly flitting across her mind. It was ridiculous how much Kaede had managed to teach her in the mere span of six days. Rei had a sneaking suspicion that she now held the knowledge of every single herb and remedy that existed in the Sengoku Jidai. But on the bright side of things, at least she would know what to do when she suddenly developed a whooping cough or something.

She reached the edge of the woods, and the village spread out below. It was a pretty scene with picturesque huts dotted on the hillside below like a storybook drawing. Rei smiled. It made her feel slightly better about things. As long as her brain concentrated on the daily details and not long term ones, she found herself able to get through the day well enough. She made her way down slowly to Kaede's hut. When she finally reached the door, oddly, she simply stood there and stared at it. _I don't want to go in. There's nothing for me to do except clean, and I certainly don't want to do _that Rei grimaced.

A light breeze picked up and wafted over to her. It carried the pale, delicious scent of flowers. Just the smell of them immediately made her happier. _Flowers,_ she thought. _I'd like to go to this flower field. _She glanced around and saw one on the opposite edge of the village. It was a colorful carpet, filled with pale, light-colored flowers; pink, blue, yellow, and purple. The blooms swayed gently to the wind and seemed to be beckoning her. Rei began to walk toward the flowers.

The scent got stronger with every step, but it was still light and fresh, never overpowering or heavy. Rei had never seen such a beautiful array of flowers. _Maybe the Sengoku Jidai isn't that bad after all. In Tokyo, I don't know where I'd find flowers like these. Only in the parks, and the ones in the park are always too dark or sickeningly-sweet, or just ugly._

She stood in the flower field now, taking in everything. It was dreamy and mystical, almost surreal. She was standing in her uniform now; the miko clothes only made her feel more like she was Kaede's apprentice, and she did not want to be anyone's apprentice. And suddenly, she had been afraid to forget where she came from. She was afraid that she might simply wake up one morning and forget that she was from the future at all, and just continue to live her life in the past. She was terribly afraid. So she donned her uniform again, in hopes that it would help her remember who she was. If she was tortured for the rest of her life with broken, cloudy memories, she would want to remember. For ignorance does not erase pain; it only masks it.

She stood very still and gazed at the sky. The flowers grew up to mid-calf and brushed her bare skin lightly, their soft petals like satin against her legs. The sky was a dizzying blue, so vivid and bright that it almost hurt to look at it. Her vision spun precipitously, and she leveled her gaze. _Oh? Who is that?_

There was a little girl amongst the flowers, singing and picking the blooms with great care. She was clothed in a simple orange checkered yukata, bound at the waist with a green ribbon, and her hair was in a little pigtail which stuck out from the side of her head. The child hadn't noticed Rei yet. _Was she here the whole time? It's like she simply appeared, a little fairy that flits about._ The little girl was all alone in the wide expanse of flowers. Rei wondered if it was just a girl from the village. She walked up to the girl.

She was humming some nonsense tune of her own composition and skipping around, carefree and innocent. The child finally noticed Rei and looked up. She had large, bright eyes and a small, pretty smile. _This is definitely not a village child_, Rei concluded. The children from the villages, young though they were, hardly had time to play and pick flowers. Their expressions were the same of those of the adults, and Rei was slightly unnerved by them. She felt an inexplicable sadness whenever she looked into their faces. They were doomed to work as peasants for the rest of their life and their children were as well. They were hardly ever clean. Their clothes were scuffed and their faces always smudged with dirt. This little girl was hardly one of them.

Her clothing, simple though it was, was almost new and well-cared for. It was bright and colorful, unlike the drab, boring grays and browns that villagers tended to wear. Her face and hands were clean and her palms, which clutched handfuls of flowers, were tender. Village children's hands were always calloused and rough, no matter how young they were. This girl had either not ever done any hard work or at least, had not done it in long enough of a time for her palms to heal. The girl smiled a brilliant, heart-rending, innocent smile which showed nothing of the death and war of the era. Rei felt her heart twinge. This was a little girl that looked like she had been transported from the modern era. She was apparently from a loving family, who fed her, cared from her, and sheltered her from the world.

The child smile melted off her face when she saw Rei. The girl shied away and glanced around nervously. Rei saw that she was uncomfortable. "Hey," she called out. "Don't be scared. I won't hurt you," she reassured. The girl still looked a bit unsure. Rei smiled and beckoned coaxingly. "Come here, won't you?" She was curious as to who this child was.

The girl child edged closer slowly. She chewed her lip thoughtfully. She paused for a moment, eyeing Rei carefully before apparently deciding that Rei was friendly. The girl timidly bobbed a little curtsy. "Hi," she said shyly.

Rei smiled encouragingly. "My name's Rei. What's your name, little girl?"

The girl looked slightly confused. "You are? I thought that you were Kagome, that girl that travels with Inuyasha." She pointed at Rei's uniform. It did look suspiciously like Kagome's.

Rei shook her head. "No. But our clothes do look alike, don't they?"

The girl nodded. "I'm Rin."

Rei smiled. "Rin? That's a pretty name."

Rin's lips curved into a tiny grin. "Thank you, lady." She paused in thought before she brightened. She flashed a brilliant smile. "You want to help me pick flowers?"

Rei grinned back. She knelt down so that she was at eye level with Rin. "I will if you promise me one thing."

The little girl frowned. "What is it?"

"Call me Rei. Please don't call me 'lady.' It makes me sound old."

"Okay!"

They set to work at the flowers. Rin was extremely friendly and within a few minutes, talked with Rei as if she had known her for her entire life. Rin babbled on and on about everything. She mentioned something about being left in this flower field. She wondered aloud where "Master Jaken" was, whoever he was. Rei simply nodded and smiled.

"Master Jaken took Ah Un somewhere to look for grass. He said the flowers made him sick. I didn't know that he was allergic to flowers," she said in pure bewilderment. Rei marveled at how incredibly naïve this girl was. Rei had a hunch that this "Master Jaken" character wasn't exactly allergic to flowers. More like he hated doing something as girly as picking flowers. But Rei didn't want to burst the cute little girl's bubble. So she just said "oh" and continued to listen.

"I'm picking these flowers for Lord Sesshoumaru. He's gone all the time, and I want him to be happy when he comes back."

_What a sweet girl. So she is a lord's child. That would explain why she's so well-groomed and so innocent about the ways of the world. Wait. Sesshoumaru was it? Where have I heard that name before?_ It did sound familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. _Sesshoumaru…I know I've heard it somewhere!_

But the girl had begun to talk again, and Rei pushed the issue out of her mind. It probably wasn't anyone important if she couldn't remember who it was. Rin gushed enthusiasm about this "Sesshoumaru," and very clearly admired and loved him. She praised him to the skies. Rei found herself slightly, scarcely, hardly curious about him. Rin was adorable, but Rei wasn't sure that she would get off easily if she met this lord. He might be angry at her for being with his child. He did seem like a protective person.

There was enough flowers to present to four Sesshoumarus now. Rin's hands clutched thick bundles of the blush-colored blooms, and Rei carried another two bouquets. The blossoms were beautiful, to be sure, but she wasn't sure that they would last very long now that they had been plucked. Rin would have to get them to Sesshoumaru quickly.

Rin looked to Rei. "Will you come with me?" she asked hopefully.

Rei began to shake her head, protesting, "I can't. The village will miss me."

Rin started to whine piteously. "Pleeeease? I can't take all these flowers by myself. And you can come back later if you want to. I want you to meet Lord Sesshoumaru. You're nice. I think he'll like you. He doesn't usually like people."

_Hmmm. This Sesshoumaru guy is sounding shadier and shadier by the minute. He doesn't usually like people? He must be a loner. Weird that he even let's his daughter follow him around. Why are they wandering around the place anyway? I thought lords just sat on their lazy rears and commanded servants to do things. _Rei was very sorry that she couldn't go. Rin warmed her heart, such a pretty, sweet little girl; Rei thought she was the cutest thing. But Kaede would be looking for her and…_And what? Who cares? I'm not doing anything usefully around here anyways. I don't really care if I go back. Kaede will just make me set more bones and collect more herbs and clean more house. I don't want to stay there for another day. She's nice enough, but I feel like a horrible third wheel there. I have no purpose. Kaede always said that my fate would take me where it will. Perhaps meeting Rin is part of my fate. Maybe meeting Sesshoumaru is part of my fate._ Really, her thoughts weren't quite true, and they certainly weren't getting her anywhere. She was making up excuses so that she could leave. _But it's worth a try. I'll come back when the time is right. I'm stuck in a fairytale, aren't I? Shouldn't I be doing something heroic or at least something _interesting? Rei set her jaw in determination.

"All right. I'll go with you. Do you think that maybe your Lord Sesshoumaru will have something for me to do? Maybe I can be in his entourage. Maybe somehow I can complete my destiny and go home. I'm definitely not accomplishing anything here." Rei was just talking out loud to herself, but Rin bubbled up with joy.

"Good! I'm sure you can come with us. I'll tell my lord. Master Jaken is so boring to be with sometimes, it will be really good if you can come with us. I'll have someone to talk to!" She was so adorably excited.

Rei smiled reluctantly. She was a bit apprehensive about going to meet this Sesshoumaru. _He is a feudal era _lord _after all. It's intimidating. _

Rin tucked one of the bouquets under her arm and caught Rei's free hand. "Let's go!"

The two left the field and entered the shady coolness of the forest. The sunlight mottled the ground black and gold. It filtered through the trees in a fresh green. They threaded their way through the trees. Rin, it seemed, knew where she was going. She was quiet now, alert to the noises around her, avoiding the village by going deep into the woods. Rei was afraid that Rin would get lost, but the little girl held Rei's hand confidently and tread surely on the soft piney carpet.

Rei suddenly realized that she had absolutely nothing with her except two bunches of flowers. She had no money, no extra clothing, no food, nothing. If this lord decided to not take her into his service, she was completely doomed out here. She had virtually no idea where Rin was going; she was never a good one with directions. If Rin left her, she would be hopelessly lost. Rei fervently hoped that the lord was a kind one. Or at least that Rin would say something in her favor.

Rin stopped abruptly. They were still in the middle of the forest. _What? Shouldn't we be at some sort of castle or fortress or shelter, at least? We're in the middle of nowhere. We are perfectly alone in the middle of nowhere. Please don't tell me that Rin is lost. Please don't tell me that Rin is lost._

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin called out. "Lord Sesshoumaru!"

_Oh goodness. She is totally lost. And there is no way he's going to hear us out here. He's probably miles away from here. Silly girl! She thinks he'll hear her. Oh God. Why did I follow her blindly into the forest? We're lost, we're lost, we're stuck out here forever! I even choose to be Kaede's dull apprentice to being dead!_

There was a rustle in the trees. Someone was coming. _It's not really him, is it? Did he really hear her? Why is he out in the middle of the woods? _The underbrush and wild tree limbs were too thickly meshed together for Rei to get a glimpse of whoever it was. There was distinctly a figure coming. A man's. But she couldn't see his face. He was coming closer. Closer.

Rei tensed warily.

It was him.

A silvery-haired, golden-eyed, elf-eared _demon_ appeared from the trees, casually glancing around and first looking upon a grinning Rin, then fixing his gaze upon a slack-jawed Rei. It was a look of mild curiosity, but mostly of disdainful boredom.

Rei snapped her mouth shut, gulped, and dropped both bouquets. "You've got to be kidding me." She closed her eyes and shook her head. _Fate just _wants_ me to die, doesn't it? What a nightmare. This has got to be just a horrible, twisted nightmare._

Fuzzily, she heard Rin begin to speak. "Lord Sesshoumaru, this is Rei. She's nice," she introduced cheerfully.

Rei groaned and clapped a hand to her forehead as she met his skeptical golden eyes. "You're kidding me. You're _kidding _me." Her voice brimmed with incredulity. "_You're_ Sesshoumaru?"

**A/N: squeals Sesshoumaru! Yeah, I'm liking where this is going. Go Rin! It's only just occurred to me that perhaps I shouldn't have named my OC Rei because it's so awkward to write Rin and Rei. Rin and Rei ran. Hahaha. Like a tongue twister. Anyways, PLEASE for goodness sakes, drop a review, and you'll have to wait 'til next week to see what happens. Cliffhangers tick me off so much; sorry I'm torturing you so. But I have license to do that because I'm the author. laughs maniacally 'Til we meet again!**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: DONE WITH THIS CHAPTER! Finally, I am finished with this huge mofo. It's utterly monstrous, and took me forever. I'm sorry that I only have it done now, when I promised it last Friday, but I truly, sincerely, could not find time in my life to complete it. But this chapter is really long, so it should compensate for any amount of lateness. I have mixed feelings about this one, so I'll wait and see what you guys think. And now, for the reviewers, whom I could not do this without, I truly couldn't: Valinor's Twilight (who has always consistently reviewed, thank you so much), Wandering Hitokiri (whom I love for all the praise, though deserve it, I do not), White Alchemist Taya (I adore your eagerness, it makes me want to write more), Chibi Inuyasha Lover 4ever (I LOVE long reviews, so much thanks, so much thanks), Lady Riiko-chan formerly known as Lady Kanna-chan (thanks for sticking since the beginning, and your reviews always make me laugh), and finally, IEatChicken, Sonja Mascari, and kuro-chan10307 (new reviewers! who always make me happy beyond all reason). Thanks to you all! Just you wait for the next chapter, it will be AWESOME! **

**Chapter 6**

He stood there, like he did the last time, his mouth twisted into a funny little grimace, his eyes glaring threateningly at nothing in particular. Rei was mortified. She couldn't believe that out of all the people in the _world_ that Lord Sesshoumaru could be, it just happened to be _this _guy. This long silvery-haired, golden-eyed guy, whom she has already met, already annoyed, and already been almost killed by. _This is just dandy._ _And he simply has to be a demon, of course, to round out the fairytale._ Rei thought about why demons would have a need of lords and ladies. Vaguely, she wondered why his hair was so long, almost long enough to be a girl's; she would have thought him a girl if she hadn't heard his voice before. And she was pretty convinced that he was, indeed, a man.

Rin was grinning happily, looking first to Sesshoumaru, then looking up innocently at Rei. _Is she looking at the same thing I am? Because last time I checked, this Sesshoumaru guy is definitely a demon. And I thought little girls were scared of demons? She must be insane. Good God, I've been following a crazy child._ Rei's mind was working furiously at telling her legs to run; run as fast as she possibly could in the opposite direction. If the demon was bored or lazy, he might just let her get away. But Rei's legs were not responding at all. It was about this time that she realized her mouth was hanging open in pure shock, again, and that might have contributed to why Sesshoumaru was staring at her with utter disgust. She snapped it shut. Again.

"Rin, why did you bring this girl with you?" he said abruptly, with obvious displeasure. The little girl was apparently oblivious to his tone of voice and responded gleefully, "Because she helped me pick flowers. Oh yes! Here they are." And with this, she raised her two fists clenched with blush-colored blossoms and offered them to Sesshoumaru, who took them with extreme reluctance, holding them awkwardly in his hands. "Rei picked flowers too," she babbled on, "But…oh!" She glanced at the blooms lying limply on the ground next to Rei. Rin rushed over and gathered them from the ground, seeing as Rei was rendered speechless and absolutely stunned. Rin handed the rest of the flowers to Sesshoumaru, nearly jumping up and down with pure joy. _What a simpleminded child._

A sudden thought struck her. It was an acutely ridiculous thought, something that had nothing whatsoever to do with the terrifying circumstance at hand. Granted, the cheery little girl skipping about did lighten the situation a great deal, but one glance at the solemn, displeased demon opposite her completely sobered her down. _Is Sesshoumaru Rin's father? He is apparently her guardian, and I can't imagine why he would let her follow him around unless she was some relation of his. But how is that even possible? He's utterly, blatantly, fully demon, and she is obviously, blaringly human. How…what…I'm so confused!_

Rei was never one to be prudent with her words. For the first time in her life, she regretted that.

"Are you Rin's father?" she blurted out.

Just for that, she wanted to slam her head into a tree until she lost her hearing. Or hopefully, he would just ignore her and not answer the question. It was an intensely personal question to ask a _human_, so for a demon, it was probably like she had just punctured his bubble with a huge sword, and then decided to smother him with hugs and then breathe all of his air. In any case, it definitely wasn't something he would like. _I sure have a godforsaken talent of getting demons to hate my guts._ Rei couldn't claim to be an expert on the inner workings of a demon mind, but she knew enough to know that she would probably get her head sliced off neatly for associating him with a human. And for suggesting that Rin was his spawn, he might just methodically remove her organs with his bare hands.

Rin looked from side to side, confusion radiating from her eyes. Sesshoumaru shot a warning glance at her and shook his head slightly. Her large, innocent eyes widened. She stepped back and nodded.

Sesshoumaru refocused his silent glare upon Rei. _What do you want from me? Just hurry up! I hate it when people just stare!_

"No."

_That was pretty painless wasn't it? Yeesh, he has to make everything so dramatic._

"Okay…well," she began hesitantly, "why does she follow you around?" Rei felt somewhat assured that he might not kill her after all. He probably would have done it a while ago.

Sesshoumaru's lips twisted in a disapproving frown. His eyes narrowed, and he whirled around without a response, his hair flipping around gracefully. "You try my patience, human. We're going, Rin."

The girl looked at Sesshoumaru, then back at Rei, a little sorrily. "Wait!" she called out.

The demon stopped. "What is it?"

Rin hemmed and hawed, twisting her legs together shyly. "Well, Rei has something to ask you. Something about coming with us, yes?" she asked curiously.

Rei was taken aback. _Yes. But I was expecting Lord Sesshoumaru to be a human lord. A human lord with a stable human dwelling, and human vassals. I was hoping that there would be mikos or something serving under the lord that would be able to open the well again. I'm not so sure that a demon will have these things. And I'm reluctant to stay with a demon too. But on the other hand, perhaps his demonic power will do something for the well. After all, I don't know exactly what it is that triggers the response of the well. Maybe it is demonic strength that does it._

Sesshoumaru still had his back toward the both of them. "Speak, human girl. Before I feel disinclined to answer."

Rei found that her voice had deserted her. She swallowed and wet her lips. "I was wondering…I was wondering whether I could stay with you?" she said in one breath.

She watched him turn around slowly. His golden eyes stared at her in real disbelief this time. _Hey, at least he's not staring to intimidate me._ Of course, he composed himself in the time span of about three seconds and smoothed the front of his kimono with impatient hands, as if her question had somehow messed up his clothing.

"Why?"

_It's an improvement. At least, he's not saying "no" yet._ "I was hoping you could help me," she said, biting her lip nervously. "I come from Kagome's time. I thought that maybe you could help me get back."

"Kagome?"

_He doesn't know who Kagome is?_ "You know. That girl that travels with Inuyasha. I'm from a different time."

He shrugged, a perfectly indifferent gesture. "Inuyasha's miko. You come from that girl's time. I figured as much from your odd choice of clothing." He eyed her bare legs scandalously.

Rei flared up indignantly. "My clothing is not odd! And stop staring at my legs. _Your_ clothes are the ones that are weird!"

Sesshoumaru frowned and turned away again. "I have no motivation to argue with you," he threw back carelessly.

Rei found herself staring at the back of his head again, as he began to stroll away leisurely. "H-hey! Wait! Can I come with you or not!"

"No."

Rei was about to give up in despair, when Rin stepped up and took her hand. "Lord Sesshoumaru! Why can't she come with us?" she asked in a wheedling voice.

If Rei could have seen his face, she would have sworn that he had rolled his eyes. He was silent for a few moments, and when he finally spoke, his voice dripped with exasperation. "Do as you wish, then. This is hardly worth my protestation."

Rin gave a little shriek of happiness and leaped forward. Rei, whose hand was still tightly linked with the child's, almost pitched face-first into the ground. She tripped, caught herself, and stumbled along as the Rin skipped along. _He's letting me stay? I can't believe it. Oh. Okay. No complaining here._ And she felt her heart lighten as Rin started humming a song.

xXx

It had been seven hours of pure walking now, and Rei felt like she could probably cut off her feet and be in less pain. Rin must have been made of stone or something, because she didn't complain the whole time. There was a dragon, one of the wonders Rei had discovered, whose name was Ah Un, and who could most likely carry them both, judging from the saddle tied snugly around its middle. But Rin had not jumped on for a ride yet, and Rei did not want to seem like a weakling. Though she was sorely tempted to just leap onto Ah Un's back, permission granted or not.

She had heard at most, two sentences come out of Sesshoumaru's mouth upon following him. And none of them were directed toward her. It might have been horribly childish to expect from someone dressed in such a formal kimono, but Rei got the feeling that he was ignoring her on purpose; maybe a little annoyed that she had just waltzed into his little group with such ease. Rin had been talking with her, which was a consolation, and Rei found that she liked the girl more and more. Rin would occasionally drop a question by Sesshoumaru, one of them being where Master Jaken was, and it was this question that he actually bothered answering.

"I sent him on a mission. He won't be back for some time."

It wasn't the most satisfying answer that Rei had ever heard, and if she had been on speaking terms with Sesshoumaru, she would have demanded more detail. But Rin only smiled and said "oh." Apparently, she was used to his short, clipped responses, and had learned to just appreciate what she got. She was such an obedient child, thoroughly devoted to Sesshoumaru, that it amazed Rei. He didn't seem like the kind of person to inspire such loyalty. At least, not in her opinion. Maybe Rin saw something in him that she did not.

Rei was a little unnerved that she had no clue where Sesshoumaru was leading them. The forest all looked the same to her, and if she had to make her guess, she would have thought that they had been traveling in circles for hours. It was not such a comforting thought, but Rei did not want to actually ask Sesshoumaru where he was going. She was still humbled and grateful that he allowed her to tag along and figured that she should probably quit while she was ahead.

She was almost afraid to break the silence, so when Rin attempted to talk to her, she would only respond in whispered tones and make the answers as short and brief as possible. But Rin wasn't a stupid girl, very intuitive actually, and easily discovered why Rei was being so unresponsive.

"Are you afraid of Lord Sesshoumaru?" she asked brightly.

Rei stopped and inwardly groaned. _Does she have to throw everything out in the open? Traveling with her is like having a personal mind reader there for everyone else's convenience. _Except _mine, of course. How am I supposed to answer that? Sesshoumaru is less than ten feet away from me. What am I supposed to say? _She gave a nervous little chuckle and said unconvincingly, "No. Of course not! Why should I be?" And then, she chose to stop because her voice was beginning to turn so sugary that it was sickening even to herself.

Rin cocked her head and looked at her in confusion, but apparently chose not to comment. It was so obvious that Rei was terrified of the demon lord and purposefully shied away from him, but Rin was simply too polite to say anything.

But not Sesshoumaru. He stopped mid-step, turned his head and fixed his oh so familiar golden glare upon her. Rei could almost sense his condescending demeanor just shooting suns into her, and she cringed visibly. He said with horribly dull conviction, "You're an awful liar."

She didn't exactly know how to respond to that. The air was so thick with tension that she could have cut it with a knife. She was affronted. How dare he be so rude about everything! She hadn't shown him anything but respect the whole time, and he was just so dull and—_and honest _she thought, but ignored it—and a perfect jerk. She was sick of the sickening silence, the awkwardness so incredibly awkward that she could choke on it, the worry, the confusion, everything, that she just wanted to yell at him and get it over with. So she did. "Don't be ridiculous!" she said loudly. "I wasn't lying. You're an awful judge of emotion, that's what you are. You both—" she pointed to Sesshoumaru and Rin "—make everything so awkward. It's been silent for nearly the whole time we've been walking, and the only one that has been somewhat moderately trying to make me feel welcome is Rin. You—" she swiveled her finger back to Sesshoumaru "—are an absolute jerk, you know that? You are the most arrogant, annoying, self-righteous prick I've ever met in my whole life! I don't think I can stand another two minutes of this silence. It's driving me insane!"

It probably wasn't the best thing she could have said at a time like this, but Rei, huffing and puffing with the effort, almost sobbing in exhaustion, was about ten million miles beyond the point of caring. He hardly looked affected at all. In fact, he looked hardly surprised at her outbreak. "So you _can_ speak. How interesting. I was wondering the whole time whether or not you were able. But now, I feel as if I am regretting any wish for you to talk. You do it overly much," he said coolly while watching Rei swelling like a bullfrog in her rage. "Furthermore, I never welcomed you in the first place. You simply invited yourself. I merely mentioned that I had no preference as to whether you would be there or not. So I do not understand why you are so adamant for us to welcome you with open arms," he continued infuriatingly. "And lastly, the only thing I seem to comprehend about your rant is that you do not enjoy peace and quiet. Pity, really. It doesn't seem like we will get along much, then. You do babble so much that I can see why the silence would bother you," he finished calmly.

_How utterly ironic!_ she thought, _He thinks _I_ talk too much? And what is Rin? Just an entertaining little doll? She talks too! In fact, a lot more than I do! What's his problem?_ She opened and closed her mouth wordlessly, getting redder and redder, utterly at a lost as to how to respond. On one hand, she wished that she could throw a large string of unmentionable words at him, but on the other hand, she did have a small voice in the back of her head, frantically advising her to stop _right now_ and just smile good-naturedly.

"Don't bother to answer. I don't really care to hear it," he said coldly. "If you want to follow me, which I assume that you do want to, please just shut your mouth and keep up. It's all that I can ask for from someone like you."

_Well, he definitely wasn't the sociable kind. _Rei was actually rather frightened at this point. He was pretty intimidating, and while the earlier insults could have been mistaken as witty teasing or quips, this was most definitely an order, and it would be wise to stay quiet. She probably should have been further insulted, but she was too numb to feel anything, and it really didn't seem like such a big deal anymore. Nothing in the Feudal Era was that big of a deal anymore. Maybe all demons were like that.

In a nutshell, she chose to smile good-naturedly. "Can I ask you where we're going?" she ventured timidly.

"No."

_Okay, _she thought in the privacy of her head, too nervous to voice it out loud, _back to square one then_. It really was quite amazing how quickly her moods could change. She had been flaming mad a few seconds ago, and now she was very agreeable with being soundless for the rest of…the unknown journey. She had a vague feeling that Sesshoumaru might have simply been wandering in random circles—maybe he was the roaming type, truly she didn't know that much about demons—but he was nonverbally insisting that he really did have some sense of direction.

At least, that was what Rei hoped she was getting from him.

xXx

Rei was not naturally a quiet person.

Within two hours, she had nearly forgotten about the whole ordeal and began to talk animatedly with Rin again. She suspected that Rin's bubbly personality was rubbing off on her. Of course, Sesshoumaru chose to participate in none of the conversations, gazing stoically forward, with a determined patience.

"I'm _hungry_, Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin whined. Rei was as well, but felt it was best if she didn't complain too much. Secretly, she was glad that Rin was hungry. That most likely meant that they would have the opportunity to get food. Rei had an inkling that if she had mentioned anything about her empty stomach, Sesshoumaru would have gone on being silent and stern, probably not even wasting words on a response. He might have even been happier if she starved to death. Less noise, after all.

He sighed. "Go get food, Rin."

She smiled. "Okay! But what about Rei?" she asked.

He stopped and spoke without turning around. "There's a village a couple of miles ahead. You two can go get food and such while you're there. I'm not sure _the human_ is able to eat wild foods without upsetting herself."

Rei decided, yet again, not to comment on the irony of his talk, because unless Rin was some sort of bioengineered robot of which Rei had not yet been informed of, then Sesshoumaru hardly had the right to label her as _the human_. But while she was offended that he thought her too delicate to eat anything but prepared meals, she was glad as well, because in truth, she didn't want to go scrounging about in the forest for wild mushrooms and berries.

There was a slight problem, however. "I don't have any money," she said softly, hoping not to disturb him. "You need money to buy food in human villages," she added unhelpfully, in case he, as a demon, did not know that.

"Rin has money," he said irritably. "Just go with her."

"Oh." _Well, I just assumed that you provided for her. How was I supposed to know that she just happens to carry money about her person all the time? You know it's not safe for little girls to have money with them, right? They could be robbed, or killed, or have any number of bad things done to them. You really are a bad parent. Though what can I expect from a demon? You've probably never ever had a child of your own._ Her inner mind was working furiously, but she kept a light, bland smile on her face. Now was _not_ the time.

"Come on, Rei!" Rin took her hand joyously and ahead, past Sesshoumaru, past Ah Un. _Perhaps she's been here before. She does seem to know where we're going._ Rin walked surely without looking back at Sesshoumaru. She was talking again.

"I can't wait to show you the village. It's very nice. The people there are always so nice to me. Lord Sesshoumaru lets me come sometimes. Just sometimes though. You're lucky that you get to come here. I like staying with Lord Sesshoumaru a lot, but I like seeing other people too. Sometimes, humans are mean to me because I stay with him. That's why he doesn't let me tell them. He made me promise. So you have to promise too, okay? You can't tell anyone that you go with Lord Sesshoumaru. He says they'll think bad things about us if they know. I don't know why, but I just do what he says," she said in one long train. She brightened. "You can pretend to be my sister! I always wanted to have a sister. Do you promise to not tell them anything? Please promise. Lord Sesshoumaru will be so mad if he finds out I let you say anything."

Rei couldn't help but laugh at the girl's seriousness. "Okay. I promise."

"Good," said Rin, grinning all the while. "Good."

xXx

Rin introduced her to absolutely everything. There was a lovely little inn that served scrumptious food, and she ate so much that she thought she might explode. Rin laughed at her hunger, but ate very little herself. She said that she wasn't used to the food. _I wouldn't ever be able to get used to wild food, but I guess it's the other way around for her,_ thought Rei. The people there _were_ really nice, but then again, Rei kept her promise and said nothing about Sesshoumaru. The two pretended that they were sisters and were visiting from Edo. It was actually a pretty difficult fib to keep up, since she was still dressed in her sailor fuku. If it had been any less polite of a town, people would have asked her to leave, but instead, they just stared at her openly. She contemplated buying new clothes, but she didn't want to spend Rin's money any more than necessary.

They did go to a bathhouse, where Rei felt her worries soak away from her; it was wonderful. Her hair was pretty grimy from trudging around in the forest, and she wondered how Rin kept her hair so neat all the time. She wondered how Sesshoumaru kept his hair that neat, for that matter. But she only let the thoughts grace her mind for a few seconds. The hot water was just too deliciously perfect to pass up. She thanked Rin again and again until the little girl glowed with pleasure.

It was a perfect day; indeed, they even went to small shops to look at trinkets, which Rin really seemed to like, and clothes, which Rei thought looked horribly drab. The only colors were grays and browns, colors that the peasants wore, colors that were incredibly dull. Rin seemed to stand out in the crowd with her bright, checkered orange and green bow, but the people seemed to just assume that they were of nobility, thus wore such brilliant clothing. The sight of the clothes being sold completely deterred Rei from wanting new clothes. Sure, her uniform induced stares from everyone, but it would be better than wearing _that_. _So kill me,_ she thought, _I enjoy pretty clothes. What can I say?_

But, but, they did stop by a weapon shop. _Odd,_ thought Rei, _that there would be a sword shop in such a peaceful village._ But then she remembered that it was the Feudal Era, and understood. Beneath all the polite smiles and bows, these people were probably very prudent about the world they lived in, and probably very able to use weapons effectively. The thought of it made Rei a little uncomfortable. But when they stepped into the shop, just for fun of course, she forgot everything.

It was enchanting. The swords were on display, out of their sheathes, and light glimmered off their polished surfaces. The sheathes were in good condition and smelled of new leather. There were all different shapes and sizes: katanas, wakazashis, and small daggers graced the walls. Bows and beautiful quivers lay oiled and clean on the shelves. A young man wiped his hands on an apron and approached them. "Do you two girls need some help?" he asked in a friendly voice.

Rin shook her head shyly, and Rei said, "No thanks. We're just looking."

The man nodded and smiled, and then went off to the back room.

Rin flitted around from shelf to shelf, marveling at everything, probably not knowing what it was, but admiring it anyway. Rei loved looking at them. She'd never seen real weapons before, except for on television, where they were fake, and in museums, where they were old and rusty. She picked up a wakazashi and loved the firm, comforting feel of the hilt in her palm.

The young man that was the shopkeeper came back to the front casually, worrying away at the feathery vanes of an arrow. He looked kindly. "I didn't know young girls like you two were interested in this kind of thing."

Rei opened her mouth to speak, but found what she was going to say would probably blow her cover. _I can't say that I've never seen a real sword before; he'd think I've been living in a cave or something._ So she only grinned back awkwardly and tried to not seem too tongue-tied. He was a very nice looking man, maybe around twenty, and despite everything being awry and covered up, she wished rather wistfully that he could help her. It seemed like a much better option to be stuck with this young shopkeeper than a stern and frightening demon. Actually, a lot of things seemed better at the moment; only she did not want to contemplate her increasingly bad situation; it was much easier to simply forget about what she was tangled in. It was much easier to think that she was just the older sister of a pretty, engaging little child, and that she was visiting a weapons shop on pure fanciful whim. But he seemed so sincere, just from the gentle look on his face. She really did want to tell him who she was.

"Swords are pretty enough to look at. Sometimes I wish that I knew how to handle them. They are lovely things," she found herself telling him instead.

He laughed, a nice, friendly sound. "Swords aren't lovely on the battlefield, dearest. You _are_ naïve," he teased. Rei felt herself relaxing in his presence. He was a rather handsome young man, perhaps someone she might find herself dating if she were back in her time.

"Do you live around here?" he asked curiously.

Rei didn't know what to tell him. She couldn't ask Rin what to say at a time like this; he would think her silly for having to ask her little sister about their home. "N-no. Not really. I live a little ways away. We're just visiting," she said hesitantly.

"Ah," he answered wisely, with all the pretext of believing her. "So you'll be leaving soon then, I assume?" he said solicitously.

She nodded.

"How disappointing. Then you won't be visiting anymore?" he asked.

"No," she said shortly. "Sorry," she added as an afterthought. She _was_ pretty sorry that she wouldn't be seeing this attractive stranger again.

"Well then, I feel obligated to make you a gift. Only courtesy for a friend," he said lightly. "And since you're so fascinated with these wakazashis—I do believe that a katana might be too big for you—I must give you one of these," and with this, he handed her one of the swords lying on the front counter. It was the one she had been fingering.

She was surprised, so surprised that she couldn't help but take it—he was holding it out insistently with a wide smile. "But I don't know how to swordfight," she said irrelevantly.

He just grinned. "Then you can learn, since you're so determined. I had to give you a small one. Usually, these short swords are used for quick, close combat, but the long ones for formal sword fighting are far too large for you. I'm sure you'll find someone to teach you," he said.

"Thank you," she said humbly, very grateful that he should give her such an expensive present. It made her heart twinge a little, for what reason, she did not know.

Rei decided to hide the sword one of her woven bags and covered it with the soap, towels, and combs they had bought. _It's probably a better idea to keep this from Rin, who might tell Sesshoumaru, and then would probably end up in it getting confiscated. So I'll just keep it from him, just for a little bit._

When Rei and Rin walked out from the weapons shop minutes later, the shopkeeper waving cheerily to their backs, Rei felt her eyes tear up unexpectedly. _What is wrong with me?_ she wondered. She couldn't help but feeling that some previously unnoticed chance had just flown by her, never to return.

xXx

"I'll be back later."

That was all Sesshoumaru said, before traipsing away again to do who knows what. Rei was rather annoyed by his nomadic behavior. She'd realized by now that he really had no idea where he was going and was usually just wandering around for the heck of it. And he did tend to leave her and Rin behind. Whatever he was doing during these times were unbeknownst to her, and she felt slightly unsafe that about him leaving the two of them behind. Obviously, neither of them had any sort of experience on dealing with demons or bandits or any variety of things that might appear. He seemed all very nonchalant about it, and Rei was still not in a position to protest. She wished Rin would say something, though.

Apparently, Rin believed that Ah Un would be protection enough. Rei had never seen it in action, thus couldn't judge, but she fervently prayed that the dragon had some previously undiscovered power. She hadn't seen it do anything but plod along patiently, bending down for grass every once in a while. Maybe it could breathe fire, just like those dragons in fairytales. At least, she hoped it could breathe fire. At any rate, no safety hazard deterred Sesshoumaru from his aimless wandering. So the two were often left alone for the first three days.

It was one such occasion like that, when _it _came.

_It _was a demon. A very muscular, unclothed, dark red demon with glowing golden orbs for eyes and a mouth full of long, sharp yellow teeth. It stumbled ungracefully through the forest, roaring with hunger, drooling its disgusting saliva all over the place. It happened to stumble almost right on top of Rin and Rei.

It paused dumbly for a few moments, staring at the two human girls huddled with fear at its feet.

Rin's mouth was open in a big "o," a soundless scream, too frightened to move or speak.

Rei felt the hazy edges of fear lap at the edge of her conscience, pulling her steadily into the darkness of a fearful faint. She struggled to keep her eyes open. She'd never seen anything so enormous, so disgusting, so utterly _terrifying_ in her entire life. Sesshoumaru was a demon, and she was afraid of him, but he was nothing like this hugely grotesque being that stood before her now. This thing was at least twelve feet tall, muscles bulging under its shiny, dark red skin, its eyes almost shining like lights. Its teeth were probably four inches long each, and very sharp, probably able to cut through her flesh like a knife through custard.

The demon shook itself out of its stupor, its tangled blue mane shaking around like dead grass. It growled menacingly and laughed. It was a stupid sounding laugh, like rocks grinding together harshly, slow and stumbling. Rei saw it reach one long arm down, almost in slow motion, and wrap its horrific red fingers around Rin's slender waist. Rin screamed.

At this, Rei was shaken out of her dazed fear and stared up in horror at Rin. The girl was twisting and squirming, screaming an ear-piercing shriek. And Rei could do nothing but stare. _This isn't a dream, Rei. Snap out of it! You've got to save her!_ Quickly, she glanced at the ground and picked up a fist-sized rock and threw it at the demon. It was hardly fazed.

_What am I supposed to do! I'm just a girl, I don't know how to do these kinds of things! Please, God, anyone, someone help me!_

"Lord Sesshoumaru, help me! Please!" Rin was still screaming piteously, praying that her lord would come and save her.

_Well, Sesshoumaru isn't here to save your ass, Rei. You've got to do something! Think!_ she berated herself frantically. She scanned the area all around her, but she couldn't find anything that might potentially help. _The sword!_ she thought with sudden revelation. She ran to the reed-woven basket, dumped everything out unceremoniously, and grabbed the sword as it fell out of the basket.

_I know I don't know how to use this, but it's sharp, and it's everything I've got! _She unsheathed the sword sloppily as she ran terrifyingly toward the demon.

The demon purred in pleasure as it raised the little girl in its grasp up to its shining red mouth. The yellow teeth glistened. The girl was inches away from its dagger-like teeth—

It screamed and dropped the girl.

Rei was at its feet viciously hacking away at its legs. She swung the sword around like a stick, but it didn't matter. She didn't care that her swordsmanship was completely wrong. All that mattered was the red blood spattering out of the cuts; all that mattered was the sickening thud when the sword bit into the flesh. The demon was shrieking, crying out, as the blood leaked out of every wound.

Rei wanted to turn around and see if Rin was all right; it seemed like quite a fall she had taken, but she didn't dare take her eyes off the task at hand. It was almost mechanical, her hand swinging the sword through the air, meeting the red, blood-spotted flesh, then the dull smack, and pulling the sword out of the leg again. It went with a sound as domestic as chopping wood. It was revolting, but Rei couldn't think, couldn't feel, and had no reaction to it at all.

Then, all of a sudden, she found herself flying through the air, sword hanging limply in her hand, and a strong grip around her waist. For a few fleeting seconds, she thought it was Sesshoumaru, come to save them. But alas, it was not. It was the demon, finally getting past the initial pain to his senses. He had picked her up round her middle, and neatly brought her up to his face. It was shrieking angrily, its eyes large with pain, its grimace filled with hatred. Rei cringed to look upon it.

The demon squeezed her tight, almost as if it was trying to pop her wide open, like a pimple. There was pain, bright and vivid as the sun, and she arched downward, screaming like she had never screamed before. The pain was ripping through her; she was going to explode, going to die, going to die, going to die…

And then, like a natural reaction, her hand came up and thrust the sword with all the strength that she could muster, straight into the demon's hateful yellow eye.

Blood sprayed everywhere, all over Rei's face and into her wide, screaming mouth. She could taste the mineral-rich blood on her tongue, metallic and thick.

The demon seemed to fall in slow motion, still with Rei clutched in his hand. It fell to its knees, and then, oddly, fell backward. Its legs were folded awkwardly under it. Rei sat on its bloodstained belly, wrapped in its clawed hand.

For a moment, she was dizzy. It had all happened too quickly, and she hardly realized that the demon was truly dead. She only knew that it was vulnerable and now was her chance. She pierced the sword into its chest: once, twice, three times, into its unyielding body, before her mind grasped that the demon was really dead. She slumped onto its chest, too tired for anything, too tired to even disentangle herself from the demon's fingers.

It began as a single tear. It coursed slowly down her cheek, hot and real, and it dropped heavily onto her thigh. Suddenly, Rei noticed with a growing horror that she was covered in _blood._ It was everywhere, soaking through her clothes, drying on her skin, dripping through her hair, even in her mouth. The taste was utterly repulsive.

Her stomach flipped, and she vomited. All over the demon, she vomited. She was too tired, even to lift her hair up so that the vomit did not get on it. _That lovely bath I had just a few hours ago; now I'll have to bathe again, _she thought nonsensically. She emptied her stomach of all of its contents, before righting herself again. But it was hardly any good. She was crying so hard she could barely breathe.

_I don't feel disturbed that I've killed something, oddly. There was no other way. It was either it or me, and I chose to live. _That _doesn't bother me. But this is horrible. All the blood and gore, this is like a horror flick. This isn't something I should have to do. No sixteen-year-old should ever have to do this. All this death and awfulness. I don't want to be here. I hate this world. I want to go home. Oh please, God, I want to go home. So much blood…so much blood._

So she huddled and cried for a little bit, disregarding the blood that stained everything. _I wish that this was _really _like a fairytale, instead of some twisted form of a scary story you tell to little kids. I wish…I don't know what I wish. I just…I truly want to go home._

Rin crept up silently, watching Rei cry. She was a little battered, with blue and black bruises on her pale, porcelain skin, even paler from fright, but otherwise unharmed. "Rei-chan?" she asked timidly, too afraid of the wild weeping to interfere.

Rei didn't respond, but she raised her head to look at the scared girl child and saw with surprise, that Sesshoumaru was finally back, standing a few feet behind Rin, silent as a grave. She wanted to get up, rant and rave, and tell him that he was a jerk and a loser for leaving the two of them in the middle of nowhere, absolutely defenseless. She wanted to tell him he was selfish and stupid for keeping humans around him to begin with. But she was exhausted, and couldn't even greet him properly. So she sat in silence, just broken and defeated on the cold, dead body and wept.

"Get up, Rei." She was too tired and didn't want to listen to him tell her that. _He said my name…_she thought hazily. She didn't move.

"Get up," he said, more insistently. She felt her body creak with old age as she forced herself to stand. She removed the cold fingers from her body and shivered. She slid off the demon and took a few steps closer. Her head was bowed and her hair blowing around her face. She did not want him to see her cry, her face covered mucus and blood and tears. She didn't want him to see her that way.

He stared at her coldly. "Wipe your face, human. You killed the demon, isn't that enough? You saved yourself, and Rin. Don't cry." He turned to go before hesitating and looking at her again.

His face grew a little less stern. "Foolish girl. You saved Rin." He paused significantly.

"I thank you," he said quietly.

And suddenly, it was enough. She stopped crying and wiped her face. _I killed it, and saved us. That's enough. Enough for today._

Rin ventured to her side quietly, grabbed her bloody hand, and squeezed it. Rei smiled weakly, bent down and hugged her.

Suddenly, she felt ten times better about herself. Rin was a firm-bodied little girl, who smelled of sunshine and flowers, solid and _real_ in her arms. A little sister indeed. It was enough.

And that was that.

**A/N IMPORTANT: I just realized something that might be a tad of a complication. The site doesn't allow more than one review per chapter (which is crap, the more the better, in my opinion), and I realize that some of you have already reviewed for this particular chapter when it was still "Temporary for a week." I'm sorry about this, but you can either review on another chapter, if you haven't done that already, or log out and do an anonymous review, sign it with your real user ID. Sorry for all the inconvenience, but a review would be much appreciated, since I slaved away my life writing this chapter. Thank you in advance!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Not much to say. Sad that marching band is over, because it is pretty much my life. :-( Well, thank yous go out to: Valinor's Twilight, IEatChicken, Lady Riiko-Chan, Thorch Phoenix, and Wandering Hitokiri. Leave a review, darlings.**

**Chapter 7**

"You will wear this."

"I will _not."_

"You _will_ if I have to clothe you myself, and I can assure you that if I am forced to do that, it will not be a pleasant experience _at all_."

"No."

"Do as I say, woman, before I lose my patience."

"Make me."

Rei stood defiantly with her hands on her hips, her clothes, skin, and hair still crusted with dried blood, perfectly refusing to do what Sesshoumaru asked. He looked utterly infuriated, his golden eyes narrowing dangerously, his clawed hand extended threateningly. Rin was sitting on a nearby log watching everything with a look something akin to confusion. They had reached this predicament because of a very simple thing really: the garment that was clenched in Sesshoumaru's other hand.

There had not been a chance to take a bath since the gory battle with the demon. Usually, it was not difficult to find a clean body of water, whether it be a river, a lake, or even better, a hot spring. But conveniently, there had not been water for miles around when the demon attacked, and Sesshoumaru was loathe to pick up both Rin and Rei and carry them to a suitable bathing area. He insisted that they walk. The blood and gore began to dry on Rei, and she found herself crying again from sheer discomfort, only to be reprimanded harshly by Sesshoumaru.

Finally, two hours later, Rei practically sobbing, they had reached a small pool secluded in a comfortable cluster of trees behind a cave. Rei was about to rip off her clothing and sink into the water when Sesshoumaru abruptly told her that he was going somewhere, and for her to wait for him. She was bewildered and indignant. She wanted to defy his orders and leap into the water immediately, but he glared and promised dire consequences upon his return should she have any rebellious notions floating around in her head. So Rei complied, for as tired and incredibly uncomfortable as she was, was not stupid enough to forget that Sesshoumaru was capable of doing…very bad things to her. She considered death to be a more uncomfortable state of existence than being dirty, so she complacently waited for his return. _Okay, so maybe not complacently, but I could have thrown a temper tantrum, and I didn't. That would be setting a bad example for Rin, and I do have enough dignity to be a good role model for children._

But she was wont to change her mind when Sesshoumaru returned but half an hour later holding a bundle of colored cloth. It turned out to be—what other than clothes, of course. Rei was immediately deterred. She was perfectly _fine_ with her own clothes, thank you. While people tended to stare at her attire, she was hardly around people (other than Rin and Sesshoumaru, and Sesshoumaru didn't really count) enough for it to be too much of a problem. And her clothes were the only thing she had left that was hers. She was strangely resistant to the idea of giving them up, however cold or grimy they were. She could always wash them. She suddenly remembered Saitou-sensei's book, the red one, which had been so familiar and so…_real_ as nothing else had been. It was odd that the object which had brought her to such a hateful place was the one object she longed for. And she did feel rather guilty about not even saying goodbye to Kaede. The old woman, though boring and monotonous, had been very kind to her and very understanding of her predicament. Kaede had had practice on Kagome, after all.

But all that was forgotten as she fought for the right to wear her own clothing in a foreign place. Sesshoumaru was surprisingly adamant about her wearing these new clothes. When he shook them out for her to see, Rei was initially pleased that they were actually nice-looking. It was a dark pink kimono with a deep red sash, both smoothly silk. There was an outer—jacket, could she call it?—that was white with light blue misting designs on it. _It's so pretty! _she thought unwillingly. But she felt like she was betraying herself by thinking that. So she pushed it back into the far reaches of her mind and obstinately dug her heels in. _No, I won't wear his clothes. Who is he to tell me what to wear? I can wear what I want, and he can just kiss my…well, he can just deal with it._

Which is when the current situation ensued.

"I _don't _have to listen to you."

"If you _don't_ want to be killed, then you will do as I say."

"Lord _Sesshoumaru_! You wouldn't _really_ kill her, would you?" a girlish voice interjected.

"Quiet, Rin. Of course I wouldn't."

"What? So now you're a liar too? Telling me one thing and telling her another?"

Rin was thoroughly puzzled now, not knowing who to believe. Furthermore, she had never seen Sesshoumaru actually engage in an argument with someone before; he usually deemed something as trivial as an argument to be a waste of his time, so she watched in interest. Nobody ever disagreed with Sesshoumaru. Or if they did, he would usually solve the problem swiftly before anymore was said about it. He was a rather direct person.

"Why can't I wear my own clothes?"

"Because I do not like them."

"Well, nobody asked for your opinion."

Sesshoumaru sighed in exasperation.

"Fine."

"…What?" asked Rei, not sure she heard him correctly.

"Fine," he repeated in an irritated voice. "Listen the first time, will you?"

"You mean you're letting me keep my clothes?"

"You can keep them as long as you don't mind wearing wet clothes," he said, putting his face of indifference back on.

"Why will they be wet?" she asked uncertainly, not sure where he was taking this, but quite sure that it wasn't going in a direction favoring her.

"Do you plan on walking around for the duration of your stay with us with bloody clothes?"

"No…"

"Then you will wash them, correct?"

"Yes…I suppose so…"

"What will you wear after your bath?" he asked primly.

"…"

"That's what I thought. And unless you do not object to walking around naked, you should accept these clothes with gratitude and shut your mouth."

"But…"

"Yes?"

Rei ground her teeth in frustration. She hated it when other people got the best of her, and he was such a manipulative _beast_, she was rather tempted to tell him that she would, indeed, walk around naked. But that really wasn't an option she was willing to exploit. She clenched her jaw angrily.

"Fine!"

She marched over to him fearlessly, snatched the clothes from his hand, and stalked away into the forest.

He stared after her for a few seconds. "The pond is the other way," he called after her.

She reappeared from the woods and went the other way wordlessly, refusing to look at him.

_Let him be an absolute _ass_ if he will. I knew he would behave like this. Overbearing, obnoxious, self-centered, stuck-up, control freak! How dare he tell _me_ what to wear? Doesn't he know that women _like_ choosing their own clothing? Does he want me to have no self-value at all? I hate him and his stupid, stupid, stupid attitude. I wish I could smack that little smirk from his face. How does Rin deal with him all the time? I wish I had her patience. _

She breathed. _I need to cool down. It's just clothes, that's all. I'm acting like more of a little girl than Rin is. I can't let Sesshoumaru get the best of me._

The pond was a clean little pool of water in front of a small cave. A tiny picturesque waterfall streamed down from the top of the cave. Shady maple trees loomed above, their green branches swaying gently in the wind, and the light of the sun penetrated through the translucent leaves projecting a light green film onto the ground. _It's very pretty, _Rei found herself thinking reluctantly. It made her feel safer to just be in the secluded area, away from the world and the infuriating demon that stood just beyond the clearing.

She tore off her red-brown splattered clothing, rather stiff now that the dirtiness had dried onto it. She looked back apprehensively in the direction from whence she came. She bit her lip. "You better not come over here, Sesshoumaru! No peeking!" she yelled back. It was a ways back, but she knew that he would hear her. _Those weird looking elf ears have to have some purpose._

She lowered herself into the pool, wincing because it was so cold. But she was happy that there was water at all. She scrubbed away the dirtiness from her skin and hair as best she could with her hands. She fervently wished that she had a bar of soap or a bottle of shampoo, at least. Conditioner would be nice too. Her hair was a monster to brush through without conditioner; she could imagine what a nightmare it would be without even a comb. She would have to do it with her fingers when she got dressed. She and Rin had bought all of these things at the town, but in her fit of rage, she had forgotten to bring it with her to the pool. And she was not about to ask for it now. The water felt like heaven as it sifted through her hair and rinsed her dusty scalp. The blood washed off easily in the water. Rei could see tendrils of the blood wisping through the pond; it made her a bit nauseous to think that all that blood had been on her. She was not one of those people who couldn't stand a bit of blood, but actually having so much of it all over her was a little too much for even her to handle.

She would have spent longer in the water, but it was so cold, that in a few minutes, she had begun to go numb, and she was shivering ridiculously. She got out of the water and onto the shore. She realized that she had no towel either and cursed herself for leaving all the materials behind. And she knew that it would be dreadfully uncomfortable to get dressed while still wet. She looked around, and there was nothing except her dirty clothes. She briskly dried herself with the gray skirt, which was cleaner than the white blouse, and dressed herself quickly. As she donned the soft, warm clothing, she felt safer, just being clothed. And they _were_ comfortable. The fabric was silk, smooth and delicate against her skin, and it felt wonderful to have cloth rubbing against her legs; she felt warmer than she had for days. True, it was just early fall in the Feudal Era, but the nights had begun to get chilly and wearing a skirt was simply not practical anymore.

Rei decided that she was far vainer than she should have been. The clothes were indeed pretty, and they made her feel prettier for wearing them. She was always a girl who enjoyed nice-looking, expensive clothes. She had probably run her mother's credit card dry many times when she went to the mall, leaving fully decked in new shoes, blouses, jackets, jeans, and her closet was so packed with clothing that it was lucky if she wore the same outfit once every few months. Her family was better off than most; the shrine brought in more money than one would have thought. Rei could hardly stand being the Feudal Era: she had worn her uniform the entire time she was there, excluding miko outfit she had tried on when she was with Kaede. Rei didn't like the priestess garb very much. It was so loose and flabby; she hated clothes that weren't form-fitting. The cloth never touched her skin and made her feel like she was going around naked. But the kimono Sesshoumaru had managed to get for her was actually nice. It tied snugly around her waist—_fits perfectly,_ she thought with surprise—and was in attractive colors. In her mind, she complimented him for his choice, though she would never tell him in person.

_Now, for the uniform,_ she thought determinedly. She would have to wash it, or throw it away, and she was not entirely willing to throw away a school uniform. Rei picked it up uncertainly. Her mother was the kind of person who felt that everything was done badly unless she did it herself. So as a habit, Rei did very little chores. She had never washed clothing by hand before, though she had seen her mother scrubbing away at them many a day. Gingerly, she held the dirtied clothes up between two fingers, regarding them as if they were some sort of dead animal, and dipped them into the water. She grimaced. _Stupid, stupid Feudal Era, and its lack of washing machines!_ She was about to give up and leave the clothes for lost, when she caught herself and began to laugh. _I just battled it out with an ogre, and I'm afraid to get my hands dirty washing clothes? I really am pathetic. I need to get my priorities straight. _

She knelt down and tucked the kimono neatly under her legs as to not pull the silk. She dunked the clothes into the ice-cold water and began to scrub, moving her hands in an up-down motion that she had seen her mother do many times before. She scrubbed hard; the stains were difficult. The blood had dried on it for hours now, and blood was difficult to get out in the first place. She gritted her teeth and concentrated on the task at hand. _I'll never take anything for granted ever again._

Rei heard the soft patting of footsteps behind her. She turned around. It was Rin, carrying a towel, a variety of soaps, and a comb. Rin eyed her wet hair and said, "Did you already wash?" Rei nodded. Rin looked disappointed. "Sorry," she said apprehensively, "It took me a while to find everything." She was quiet for a moment; an awkward silence. "You look pretty," she said.

"Thanks!"

She was quiet again, as if contemplating what to say. Then she said timidly, "Are you still angry?"

Rei was surprised. It didn't occur to her that Rin, a little girl, might actually think that she was really angry. She suddenly felt extremely sorry for having an argument in front of her. "I wasn't angry, Rin," she said consolingly.

"Yes, you were. You were yelling at Lord Sesshoumaru. He was yelling back too, though. Do you hate each other?" she asked sincerely.

Rei felt like she explaining something to her child or something. She felt like she and Sesshoumaru were like a dysfunctional couple with a sad little kid. _We are _not _like that,_ she told herself. "Rin, we do _not_ hate each other. We just had a little…disagreement."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Because you both seemed pretty angry."

Rei smiled. "I'm sure. Besides, you would know if we hated each other."

"How?"

"Oh, I thought it would have been easy to tell," Rei said teasingly, feigning surprise.

"_How_?" she whined.

"For one, I would be dead," Rei said, her eyes wide with pretended seriousness.

Rin frowned. "Don't joke around like that. Lord Sesshoumaru would never kill you on purpose."

"Yeah, sure. On purpose. His sword might 'accidentally' slip and whoops-a-daisy, there goes my head," she returned.

"Nuh uh."

"Uh huh."

They both laughed.

Rin handed her the comb, and she accepted it gratefully. She pulled through all the tangled waves, pulling her wet hair straight.

She set the comb aside and continued to scrub determinedly at the clothes. "Ouch!" she exclaimed suddenly.

"What?" Rin asked.

Rei sucked at her index finger resentfully. "I broke the skin from the scrubbing. Now, it's going to rise up into a blister." She hated blisters.

Rin began to get undressed, saying that she would take a bath too while she was here. Rei tried to wash her clothes without touching the blister. It was difficult.

They laughed and talked about silly girl things and grown-up things, while Rei scrubbed and Rin bathed.

And Rei tucked that small moment into her heart.

xXx

They sat together by the campfire and watched the sun wane into darkness. It was warm and sleepy, and Rin talked while Rei sat behind her and brushed through the younger girl's wet hair. It was nice, to sit there and chat, by the brightness of the fire.

Sesshoumaru was gone again, and Rei was afraid that maybe she angered him so much that he ran off. But Rin just shook her head and said he was wandering like he was wont to do. "He comes back calmer," she explained.

"But I don't like it when he leaves us. What if some freak demon comes and attacks again?"

Rin didn't seem perturbed at all. "That was rare. They don't usually bother me when I'm alone because I have demon smell all over me. At least, that's what Lord Sesshoumaru told me. But today was just an accident. Didn't you see that the demon was surprised to see us there? He wasn't out looking for humans," she said calmly.

"I guess I'm just bad luck, huh?" Rei remarked.

"Probably."

"So do we have to eat out in the wild now?" asked Rei, changing the subject.

"I think so. We don't have time to stop at towns and buy food."

"Why are we so busy all the time?" she asked, annoyed that they would be stuck eating things like grubby mushrooms and potentially poisonous berries.

"Because Lord Sesshoumaru is looking for Naraku," Rin answered simply.

_Naraku, naraku, where have I heard that name before? I know I've heard it somewhere. Grandma? Yes! Grandma told me that…Naraku was the bad guy. The guy who was hanyou and the one that Kagome-Grandma is trying to kill. Sesshoumaru is looking for him too? Is that where he goes every time he's gone?_

"Rei." Rei turned around and there was Sesshoumaru, standing quietly in the shadows, his golden eyes glowing with the reflection of the flames. Rei was afraid that he would have been angry because of their little exchange in the morning, but he looked fine.

"Yes?" she asked hesitantly. _What does he want now?_ He had been calling her by her name now, sparsely, sometimes. Usually, it was still "woman" or "girl" or "human" but sometimes, at least now, sometimes, it was "Rei."

"Come," he said and began to walk away again. Rei felt the edges of irritation begin to tickle at her mind again. _Can't ask for something politely? I bet it would surprise him if I didn't follow and just stayed here. Actually, I wonder how long it would take for him to catch on. He'd probably be miles into the forest before he realized that I wasn't there. You know what? I want to stay put just to see his hilarious expression when he finally gets it into his thick head to look back._ But like an obedient little puppy, she followed him, waving at Rin, and promising to be back soon.

_In fact, does he even know anything more than one word sentences? It's like I have to get him angry to make him say anything longer than that,_ she was thinking vacantly as she walked behind him. 

He stopped awhile away from the camp. Not far, and Rei knew it was because he wanted to keep an eye on Rin.

They stood for a few minutes, and he upturned his face to look at the stars. Rei said nothing. _This is incredibly awkward…just tell me what you need to tell me and then we can both be on our way, _she thought, twiddling with her fingers nervously. Sesshoumaru was forcefully silent, until Rei began to wonder whether he knew she was there at all.

"Do you have something to say or not?" she asked finally.

He turned his gaze back at her, almost a little surprised that she said anything at all. "Yes," he said simply.

She let out an exasperated noise. "Can you say more than one word at a time? _Please_?"

"No."

_You are such an obnoxious asshole sometimes. _"All right, fine. Just tell me what you were going to say. And make it quick."

He raised his eyebrows. "You do not tell me what to do," he said dangerously.

Rei was hardly scared of him anymore. _He just has to put on an act, doesn't he? He wouldn't hurt me, and he knows he wouldn't. First off, Rin might potentially kick his ass if he did anything bad to me. And he's such a softie for Rin. He lets her do anything she wants. In fact, it's a wonder that she's not a spoiled little brat with the kind of stuff he lets her get away with. So no, Sesshoumaru. You don't scare me. _She lifted her chin proudly. "I'll tell you what I want," she dared him.

"You are making this a lot longer than I was meaning for it to be," he said, choosing deliberately to ignore her comment.

"See, I told you. You are such a pushover. I bet if I told you to roll over right now, you would do it."

"No."

"Sure…fine…whatever," she said, her voice disbelieving.

"I am not exactly sure what you mean by that, human."

"Well, then. Figure it out, if you're so smart. Calling me 'human' again, are you? You do realize that Rin is a human too, right? You are _so_ hypocritical. I don't see you calling her 'human.' Jeez, did you forget that she was, or what?" she said bitingly.

"You try my patience."

"Yeah, I seem to do that a lot, don't I?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

They glared at each other. Rei spoke first. "You know what? Fine. If you're just going to waste my time, I'm going back to camp. To _better_ company," she said pointedly. "Last chance," she added.

"Then you should shut your mouth and let me speak," he said sharply.

"Say what you have to say then."

"I was going to tell you that I was planning on teaching you."

Silence echoed across the forest for about a minute. His expression grew strained. An owl hooted.

"What?"

"You do have a hearing problem, don't you? I said I was planning on teaching you. Learn how to pay attention."

"Wait, what? You're going to teach me? Teach me what?" she asked in utter disbelief.

He growled. "I was going to teach you how to properly handle that sword that you apparently _stole_. But I am reconsidering my decision, as it seems like a very unworthy thing to do, spend more time with you."

Her first reaction was, _I did _not _steal that sword. It was a present. _And then, _He's going to teach me how to swordfight? Is he serious? _"Are you serious?" she asked stupidly.

"I told you that I was planning on doing it. It is not for your sake, so don't think it is. I was planning on teaching you because since my retainer, Jaken, is gone for the moment, it was not a particularly safe thing to do, leave Rin alone without any sort of protection. Ah Un, dragon though he is, is not quite the competent protector I was hoping for," he said stiffly.

"Oh," she said dumbly. "Well, it's just, it's just…"

"What? Are you uninterested? Because if you are, I can definitely find someone better than yourself to teach," he suggested.

"No. It's just that I didn't think you were the kind of person who had the patience to teach," she said humbly.

"I am not," he answered crisply.

"Okay…"

"—But I suppose I can give it a try, can't I? Just try not to be incredibly stupid, and I think we might do all right."

Rei was shocked. She looked into his face, and saw that he had a small smile on his face, too small for anyone to notice unless they looked hard enough. But it was definitely there. _Why is he doing this? He doesn't even know me, and he knows that I don't even like him. I think he's an arrogant, self-satisfied prick. He says he's doing this for Rin, and that may be true, but…he could get another demon to take care of her, couldn't he? Maybe. Maybe not. But maybe…maybe he's not that bad after all._

"Well? Do you want to learn or not?" he interrupted.

She hesitated. "I guess so."

"You sound more interested than I anticipated for you to be," he said dryly. "It is an honor to be taught by someone like me."

She nodded. "I'm sure it is. I'm very honored."

He sniffed disdainfully. "I'm not sure you fully appreciate it."

She was affronted. "Okay, okay, it's special, I get it. You don't have to nag like an old witch, you know."

"An old witch?" he repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, never mind. You are so dense sometimes."

He seemed to have nothing to say to that. Or he was feigning deafness, or ignoring her, really it was rather hard to tell with him. He went on talking as if she had not said anything at all. "We have an accord then. I shall teach you how to handle the sword, and you will try not to bother me too much."

Rei grinned. "I'll try. But chances are that since you'll be spending so much time with me, I will drive you crazy."

"I will attempt to keep my sanity," he returned primly.

"_Attempt."_

"And you run your mouth too much."

Rei shrugged. He nodded approvingly and turned to leave. Rei watched him stride back to camp. She caught herself staring again, and bounded to catch up. _So he's going to teach me to swordfight. This should be interesting. I never did have an affinity for sports. I didn't know it was possible for demons to teach humans, actually. I always thought that they would be too strong, and probably end up killing their pupil. But maybe it's just an added bonus for him if I end up dying in the process. _

When they returned back to camp, Rin greeted them with cheeriness and excitement; they had only been gone for twenty minutes. _But I suppose it is pretty boring for an eight year old to be stuck by herself. I should have thought of that._ Sesshoumaru, instead of leaving to go "exploring" like he usually did at night, stayed in the camp with them. He settled himself under a tree and observed the two girls bustling around to prepare dinner. Rin had gotten a fine catch of fish earlier, and Rei gaped in utter amazement as the girl who was eight years younger than her, expertly cleaned and gutted the fish, then neatly skewered them onto sticks and set them near the fire.

They ate—not Sesshoumaru, and Rei wondered what he ate, because he never dined with them—talked for a while, and then settled down for bed. Another disadvantage to being in Feudal Japan—there were no beds. No hotels or motels or bed and breakfasts. This was entirely sleeping on the ground, with maybe a layer of towel and leaf under. Rei felt the prickles of the dry leaves under her body and frowned. Rin was sleeping dreamily already, a small smile on her contented face. Rei had tucked her in and kissed her goodnight—something she was sure Sesshoumaru probably never did. _A little girl needs a mother. It's so sad that she has nobody to mother her. _

Rei herself began to drift off, and her eyes closed. _Maybe everything will be all right. Sesshoumaru isn't as bad as I made him out to be. Maybe not all demons are so bad. _

Her last glimpse was of Sesshoumaru watching them both as they slept, and she smiled before sleep overtook her.


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: New chapter, new character get excited. Yup, a character will be introduced in this chapter, though towards the end I do admit. I'm sure you'll figure out who he/she is, unless I am horrendous at description, which I hope that I'm not. I'm sorry that I had my anonymous reviews disabled. I didn't even realize until one of my reviews told me, to which I am quite thankful for. Ah, speaking of reviewers: Ghost Girl Sora, Wandering Hitokiri, Lady Riiko-Chan, Chibi Inuyasha Lover 4ever, White Alchemist Taya, Valinor's Twilight, and kuro-chan10307, thanks ever so much. You guys my heroes. And to all you other people, get reviewing! No excuse now, anonymous reviews ARE allowed.**

**Chapter 8**

There was a pointy little _something_ nudging insistently at her ribs. _Go away,_ she thought irritably. _It's nighttime. Let me sleep._ She turned over and buried her cold face in a warm, soft towel. She felt herself drifting off into the fuzzy oblivion of sleep, when that object began poking her in the back. "Go away," she moaned aloud. "Leave me alone."

There was a sigh. "Get up," someone said. _Who?_ Her mind couldn't make the connection. _I've heard that voice somewhere before. Do I know this person? Do I know…do I…know…_And before she could complete her thought, she had slipped away into dreamland again.

Poke. Poke. Poke.

_Just ignore it, Rei. Just ignore it, and please God, it will go away. _

Poke. Poke. Poke. The object pushed harder and more urgently.

_Leave me alone, whoever or whatever you are. I couldn't be bothered if it was another gigantic ogre ready to bite my head off. Go right ahead. Just let me sleep for a few hours. Pleeeeease…_

Poke. Poke. Poke.

Rei bolted up, her eyes squeezed shut in frustration, and her cheeks bright red with anger. "Let me sleep, will you!" She opened her eyes and saw Sesshoumaru staring at her with surprise, taken aback at her outburst. His toe was still poised in midair. _So that's what that stupid thing was. _Her eyes still hurt from lack of sleep. He cleared his throat importantly. "It's time for you to wake up."

Rei looked around and noticed that it was just dawn. The sky was a pale pretty pink, and light oranges had begun to streak across the sky in soft stripes. The sun had not risen over the horizon yet. "It's so early!" she exclaimed in surprise. He looked at her severely, put his finger up to his lips, and pointed to the Rin. She's sleeping, he mouthed. "Well, so was I," Rei muttered. "Why do _I_ have to get up this early? Why does _she_ get to keep sleeping?"

He glared at her. "Stop being such a whiny brat. I am teaching you how to swordfight. Or did you forget already?"

She stared. "No…I didn't forget. I didn't know that you meant to start _already._ And this _early_."

"The mind is the sharpest in the morning."

"Well, you know, it's different for everyone. As for me, I tend to be a bit stupid in the morning, so perhaps it will be better if you let me sleep some more. Then, when I've regained the brain cells that you have killed by waking me up this early, well, then we can start," Rei said hopefully.

"Oh stop blathering and get up," he responded irritably. Rei suspected that he was so grouchy because, it was quite early, and also because he probably didn't understand what brain cells were, and he did not seem like the kind of person who enjoyed being ignorant. She, on the other hand, was perfectly fine with being as dumb as a tree stump, as long as it meant a few more minutes under the covers.

"Well," she sniffed in retaliation, "you could have found a better way to wake me up, rather than poking me in the ribs with your toe."

He said nothing.

Rei continued, "But you know, I can tell you that you have the sharpest toe that I have ever had the misfortune to have stuck into my back."

He blinked. "Are you insulting me?"

She shrugged and tossed her hair. "Take it whatever way you wish."

Rei yawned, stood up and stretched. Her neck had a crick in it and her back was as stiff as rusted tin. There were a few dried leaves entangled in her disheveled hair. She put her hands up to her eyes and tried to rub away the tiredness that still clung heavily to her eyelids. "Okay," she said, her voice slurred from sleepiness, still. "I'm going to go wash up now, and see if I can find anything for breakfast."

"No."

Sesshoumaru stood stiffly, refusing point-blank to allow her to eat breakfast. "You can clean up," he told her, "probably better for the both of us if you wash,"—she gasped indignantly at that—"but no food this early."

"Why?!"

"I am not obligated to supply a suitable response. I am your teacher and you shall do what I tell you to, obediently and with a smile on your face. But I shall tell you for good measure that hunger keeps your mind concentrated and quick, and food dulls your senses. Furthermore, if you ate, you wouldn't be able to run without vomiting up your innards. And I have seen more than enough of your vomit."

"But it's not healthy to not eat breakfast in the mornings," she stipulated.

He snorted. "You think it's healthier to run around with half-chewed food and water sloshing around in your stomach? You make your choice, but I would advise against eating if I were you. You can eat when Rin wakes up."

Rei dearly hoped that Rin was an early riser.

xXx

She needn't have worried about any hard physical labor. The first half hour had been spent with Sesshoumaru telling her all the details of sword fighting, and telling her exactly what to do without actually attempting it. In fact, Rei hadn't even drawn her sword yet. She tried to close her ears to his droning. His voice, which Rei had deemed somewhat attractive a few days before, was now lulling her to sleep and quite, quite boring. Although she had to admit that her sleepiness might not have been a result of his tone, but rather because it was still seven in the morning.

"I believe that your best chance for survival, if attacked again, might be to just run away as fast as you possibly can, and I can certainly teach you how to run. But since the whole purpose of this little experiment is not to salvage your pitiful little posterior, but instead, to insure that Rin is kept safe, that may not prove such a good policy after all. I highly doubt you can carry an eight-year-old girl along very fast for any substantial distance. So, you will have to learn how to stand your ground and win. No backing down. I do not want to find myself coaching a coward. Do you understand?"

Rei yawned and nodded lazily.

"Have you had any experience with a proper sword before?" he asked firmly.

Rei thought back. "No. Except for waving around a plastic samurai sword when I was little, I don't think so."

He frowned. "Your parents let you handle a samurai sword when you were a mere child? That's rather irresponsible, I should think."

Rei let out an exasperated noise. "It was plastic." She was rewarded with his gaping look of incomprehension, and she sighed. "It wasn't a real one. It was made of a non-metal material, and it was dull. You can get them anywhere in my world. They're just toys."

Sesshoumaru's frown deepened. "You must live in a very violent, barbaric era then. Even children from this war-stricken time do not play with weapons," he remarked.

Rei decided that perhaps she shouldn't bother explaining her circumstances to him. "Never mind," she said abruptly. "I'll make it short and simple for you. _I have never handled a sword._ Okay? So I guess that means you have to start me from scratch. What did you expect, anyway? I'm a girl. I'm only sixteen, and I don't come from the Feudal Era where people die all the time. My era is relatively peaceful. There isn't any point to learning how to sword fight." She thought of something else as well. "Are there guns here?"

"Here?"

"In this time. Have people made guns yet?"

He sniffed. "Yes, indeed, there are. But guns are slow to aim and hard to re-arm, and it is near to impossible to kill a demon with one of those useless things. These new fangled weapons are no where near as good as a well-made katana."

_Ah, so he's a rustic traditionalist. Good to know._

"Basics," he said shortly. "You must learn the basics first. Draw your sword."

_Draw my sword. Right._ Rei picked it up from the ground, where it had been lying discarded during Sesshoumaru's lecture. _So I just pull it out, right?_ Slowly and gingerly, she pulled it out of its sheath. She watched her mentor wrinkle very slightly in distaste. "That's the best you can do?" he asked in disbelief.

She was affronted. "So is that good or bad?"

"I don't even think you realize the extent of how horrific your drawing skills are. And moreover, if you unsheathed it that slow, then you might as well be asking to get killed. The demon would already have your head on a platter by the time you put your hand on the sword," he said matter-of-factly.

"Hey!" she protested, "I killed that ogre demon thing, didn't I? I got out of that well enough, and I sure as hell didn't do anything fancy with that sword. I yanked it out of the sheath and stabbed wherever I saw fit. It worked well enough, didn't it?"

"But that was quite a weak demon, and apparently stupid as well, if it got itself killed by a mere human girl," he pointed out. "If the ogre had been more competent, it would have killed you in an instant. Demons make small work of humans when they want to," he said quietly. "But I do admit that you had more grit than is usually expected of humans. Perhaps you simply have a stronger will to live. I do not know. With Inuyasha's miko, I can sense a special power and a greater potential than most. I am only telling the truth when I say that I sense nothing out of the ordinary from you. Everything you learn and accomplish will be from your own determination and intelligence. Unlike Kagome or Kikyo, you will not have a head start, having no particular powers of your own. I hope that you are ready to work hard, and work quickly, for the time may come soon when challenges will befall you," he said solemnly.

Rei's shoulders drooped noticeably. _So I'm not like Grandma. She came to the Feudal Era because she was special. She had a destiny and a purpose. What is there for me? Am I really here, just because it was a fluke? An accident, nothing more and nothing less? Why is Sesshoumaru teaching me? Why doesn't he just send me back to Kaede and let her protect me and keep me sheltered? That's what everyone else wanted me to do. "Stay safe, Rei. There's nothing you can do here, except wait for the portal to open." Damn it. I _can _do something. I _can_. I don't want to just sit here and rot while everyone else goes all heroic on me and saves the world. Me, simple, sheltered little Rei from the future who is supposed to be somewhere else. Nobody said that to Grandma when she came and saved Inuyasha. Don't they believe that I came for a reason too? Maybe only Sesshoumaru believes that. Maybe only Sesshoumaru is willing to give me a chance. And you know what? I'll show everybody. He's right about one thing. I'm not special like Grandma. I don't have miko powers, and I can't purify or shoot an arrow to save my life. But I know something. That just means that I'll be stronger and smarter. I can't rely on anything but myself. There aren't any such things as miracles, and I'll be safer that way, not waiting in vain for one to happen. I want to learn how to sword fight. I want to become faster, better, smarter. I want to protect Rin. And I'll do it._

"I can do it," she said to him.

He inclined his head slightly. "Practice drawing again. The basics are the foundation for everything," he said simply.

She nodded. She concentrated on the movement she wanted from the sword._ It has to be smooth and controlled. It has to be as if I were pulling my arm out of a sleeve. This sword is a part of me. Learn how to do it quickly and gracefully. Do it, Rei. You have to._

There was a second of whirring thought and confusion, and then she drew. The sword flew out.

"Better," he said calmly.

xXx

It had taken another half an hour for Rei to master simply drawing the sword to Sesshoumaru's standards. He stood across her with his cold, scrutinizing gaze and told her to repeat it and repeat it and repeat it. It had gotten better initially, but then, the quality slipped again, apparently, and Sesshoumaru told her that she wasn't concentrating hard enough. "You have to think about it every time. Concentrate with all of your will."

She felt her pride being peeled away by the minute. "Every time? The ten thousandth time from now? I won't even have it naturally by then?"

He shook his head. "Everything else is instinctive. When you fight, you don't think about your next move, or what the opponent is going to do. You simply learn how to react more quickly. But drawing the sword, you must always remember to concentrate. Drawing badly is the surest way to lose a duel before it even begins."

"But why? Is it that bad?" she persisted.

He rolled his eyes. "Because if you draw badly, then you are already at a disadvantage. You have shown your opponent that you are clumsy and absentminded. You have lost your element of surprise. Is that not bad enough?"

Rei thought hard. "So I am guaranteed to lose if I draw wrong?"

"No more questions," he said, cutting her off impatiently. "Concentrate," he reminded her.

She drew. She felt the sword glide out of the sheath as if it possessed a will of its own.

Sesshoumaru finally nodded in approval. "Good. You have gotten it right at last. Just remember. Every time."

She smiled, a real smile of pride and joy. "I got it right, then!"

He frowned. "You still have much to learn. Do not get overly sure of yourself too soon. Remind me again. You have not had any experience whatsoever with swords. So you will have to start out with basic wrist movements and sword positions, your _katas_, correct?"

"Yes, sadly so," she murmured. "Are they easy?" she asked lightly.

"Hmmm. If it makes you learn more quickly, then feel free to think that they are easy," he answered.

_Thanks,_ she thought, _that was incredibly helpful._

"Hold your sword out in front of you, and follow what I do," he commanded. Then, he commenced to take out one of the swords at his waist, and held it in one hand. His other arm was limp at his side. Rei obediently followed suit and put her sword in one hand. "No," he told her severely, with a touch of defiance, "you hold it with two hands." Rei put her other hand back on, slightly confused, but suddenly wary of his tone. She watched with interest as Sesshoumaru moved his wrist gracefully and brought the sword around and around.

_It looks as if he's dancing with a sword. How does he manage to make something so horrific like killing into a beautiful art? I wish I could sword fight like he does._

She awkwardly tried to follow his movements as he flew through them like he'd done them for his entire life. _He probably has,_ she reminded herself. "Slow down!" she scolded him. "I can't do it as fast as you. Remember that you are teaching me, not putting on a show. I'm a little slower than you, okay?"

He sniffed. "Learn how to do it faster then. Do not expect me to coddle you like a spoiled child. Try to catch up."

She crossed her arms. "But it's hard, and I've never done it before. What else did you expect?"

Sesshoumaru let out an exasperated sigh and sheathed his sword. "Apparently, there was some over assumption on my part. Let me show you how it is done." He strode over to her and went behind her.

Rei whirled around in a panic. "What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly.

He glared down at her. "Calm down, silly child, I'm simply showing you how to use your sword properly. You are swinging it around as if it were some sort of primitive club. Your technique is an eyesore."

Slowly, as if he were trying to avoid frightening her, he came up very close behind her, so close, that she could feel his soft kimono rustling against her, and his firmly muscled chest pressing against her back. She sucked in a breath and held it. Suddenly, her cheeks became flushed and hot, her vision blurred and she almost swooned. _What is wrong with you, stupid? It's not like you've never been in close contact with a boy before! You've kissed a boy before, haven't you? You've had a boyfriend once, haven't you? Now get a grip on yourself! My God, these stupid hormones. I don't even like him. He's not even my _species_, for heaven's sake. He's a demon. And I'm a human. _

Sesshoumaru put his right arm around hers and gently encircled her hand with his clawed one. In a moment of irrational fear, she jerked her hand because she was afraid of his sharp claws. "Don't move," he growled. She nodded wordlessly, a knot forming in her throat, from fear or something else, she didn't know.

He guided her hand slowly. She knew she would be reprimanded later, but her head was far too clouded for her to notice anything going on around her. But in a sudden burst of clarity, she did notice something. Something that she had not even thought about before.

_He doesn't use his left hand for a reason. Oh…my God. _

Her head whipped around, and she whispered with horror, "You're…you're missing your left arm…aren't you?" She had first sensed something amiss when his left arm was always limp at his side when he was doing the katas, and now, the sleeve brushed uselessly against her arm, _it's empty, _she realized.

Sesshoumaru stopped moving. It was silent for a long moment. "Yes," he replied finally. "Yes, I am. Let us continue."

But Rei was never a prudent girl, never mindful of what she said, and she kept going. "Why? How? Why did you never tell me?"

Sesshoumaru frowned fearsomely. "I did not think it necessary to inform you. It is merely a slight disadvantage, a slight annoyance is all. I thought that you had already seen for yourself. I had no idea that you hadn't noticed anything."

"You didn't answer my question," she said. "How did it…come to be like that?"

He looked unwilling to respond, but finally he said, "Inuyasha did it. He cut it off a long time ago. I underestimated him, shockingly enough. It was a bit of miscalculation on my part." He paused. "Enough. You see why you must concentrate at all times? One mistake and you may end up like me. Maimed," he said.

Rei was horrified. _Inuyasha did this? He cut off Sesshoumaru's arm? But why? Are they enemies, somehow?_ A memory hit her. _I remember now! Miroku had asked me about Sesshoumaru, and then when I asked who he was, nobody wanted to answer. Do they hate Sesshoumaru? But…Sesshoumaru is an ass to be sure, but he's not _bad._ That's an awful, soulless thing to do! I can't believe Inuyasha did that! And what about Grandma? She must know that Inuyasha did this terrible thing. But she still follows him. How can she follow him when she knows this? I…I don't understand. _

"I'm sorry," she said solemnly. "I don't know why or how Inuyasha would do this. But it was wrong." Her eyes shown with sympathy, but Sesshoumaru, listening only to the tone of her voice, did not see it.

He looked away. "You are so simple. I don't think you understand at all. But at any rate, I don't need your apologies. Pity is loathsome to me," he said, his voice hard and unforgiving. "Do not speak to me of this again."

_It must be so hard on him. I shouldn't talk about it. I shouldn't even have brought it up. _

"Okay," she said.

He put his hand back on hers and moved the sword in small circles, and they did not speak for a long time.

xXx

The day was long, and the humiliation only grew worse and worse as Rin woke up and began to watch. Breakfast was short and rather meager. _Not enough,_ thought Rei grumpily, _to fill this empty belly._ Rin was all enthusiasm and all wonder, so much so, that Rei had begun to feel annoyed and almost wished that she could order the little girl away.

Sesshoumaru did not ease up in the least. Apparently, he was of the absurd idea that he could teach Rei in the span of a day, and when she learned much slower than he had anticipated, his mood grew dark and impatient. He was not gentle on her at all. Later, when Rei's muscles had ceased to burn, she decided that the speed training was probably the worst. _Learning how to handle a sword properly is bad enough, but running around for no useful reason is simply hell on earth. I never liked running to begin with. _Sesshoumaru pressed the importance of being quick and light during a battle, and so he had insisted that Rei "learn how to run properly, for you obviously cannot do it the right way." She was rather insulted by this assessment of her abilities, but Rin only laughed and told her to "hurry up so we can eat lunch." _Thanks Rin. You are really supportive, _Rei thought, but her mind registered accordingly that Rin was only a child, and in truth, was probably quite hungry.

Rei had to run for a ridiculously long time. _My goodness, you'd think that Sesshoumaru has absolutely no sense of human capacity at all, as if he thinks I'll just keep going on and on like an Energizer Bunny or something._ And the criticism was plenty. His first comment upon seeing her run was, "Oh my. It will need more work than I originally expected."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her. "Oh keep going, woman, you will need as much practice as you can get."

To which she countered, "I had no idea there was a specific form for running. Would you care to enlighten me?"

He frowned fearsomely. "Of course there is. There is specific form for everything. You run as if you are dragging bricks on your feet. The point of this exercise is so that you can learn to run fast. And at that, you are failing miserably. I believe that a turtle could potentially beat you in a race."

"Hey!"

She was interrupted by Rin's uproarious giggles.

"Stop laughing," Rei said sharply, "It's not funny! Why don't you come here and try?"

Rin was not put out at all. "Lighten up, Rei. You need to learn to laugh at your mistakes," she said cheerfully. "I laugh at mine all the time."

_Advice is easier heard than done. And I bet Sesshoumaru doesn't laugh at his mistakes. In fact, he probably kills anyone who insists that he has made a mistake. _Though Rei was comfortable with assurance that Sesshoumaru did not go around for pointless slaughter as she had originally thought, it was still easy to poke fun at his perfectionist tendencies in the privacy of her mind. _The two of you are impossible. Why is the girl so perfectly righteous? She gives the same advice a teacher would give. Stupid, stupid mature children. More mature than I am, I'll wager. And I am _not _immature._

Rei tried to imagine her feet were feathers, floating along on the ground. _Light, Rei, think light._ _Pretend like you're gliding along the ground. Pretend like you're flying. Pretend like you're anything but your clumsy self. _She concentrated hard on gliding across the ground, trying to make her feet barely skim the surface. She was rudely interrupted from her task by a dry laugh.

"You are trying too hard. You look like you are attempting to run on your tiptoes like a dancer. I told you to _run,_ girl, not _dance._ And if you are trying the latter, I can't say much for your dancing skills either," he said with a cynical chuckle.

Rei was infuriated. "Stop making this so difficult! I'll have you know that you are a _horrible_ instructor, and I hope that Rin doesn't have the misfortune of being taught by you. It would be quite a horrible fate, I should think. Not only would she fail to learn anything, she'd probably go crazy in the process. Or kill you out of exasperation. But off the topic, I can't really say much for your teaching skills either," she threw back at him smartly.

"No one wanted to hear you ramble, really. I should have taught you how to shut your mouth first. Just practice. I do not think I am capable of helping you out anymore. I have tried," he said abruptly.

"Not very hard, you haven't," Rei muttered under her breath. "All you've done is sit there and bark out commands like a ninny. But sure, think what you want, Oh High and Mighty One."

"Practice," his voice rang out loudly. "Shut up and practice, woman! You are insufferable."

"So are you."

"_Shut up!"_

xXx

The days passed drearily, rather dully. Rei had previously been severely annoyed when Sesshoumaru would wander off by himself. Now, she wondered whatever had possessed her to think "alone-time" was a bad thing. Sesshoumaru was there with her twenty-four seven, constantly telling her what to do, constantly reminding her to move. Her reflexes had gotten better, she could tell, but her sword fighting still resembled the seizure of a demented duck, and Sesshoumaru was quick to tell her that. _My God, I've begun to wonder whether or not there is a world outside of this…this…tedium. _Every waking hour was spent practicing, so much so, that the next morning, she would wake up with sore limbs and an aching head. She even dreamed of Sesshoumaru at night, instructing her with his dull, monotonous tone. Rin, always the brutally honest one, had told her that she had been muttering, "Sesshoumaru, shut up," in the middle of the night. "On the bright side," she had said in her cheery voice, "he didn't seem too miffed by it. I think you make him laugh when you sleep." _Beast,_ she thought, _he just has to have a laugh at my expense, does he? It seems like he is enjoying this whole "drive Rei over the edge" game. I hope he feels the same way when he is saddled with an insane, sword-swinging girl. Have fun with that, Sesshoumaru._

Rei had still not had real practice yet, the kind that involved an opponent. There was no one around to practice on. Sesshoumaru strictly forbade her to go anywhere near a demon, and he himself did not oblige to her challenges, saying that he would accidentally kill her in a heartbeat. "Than how am I supposed to know if I'm good?" she had whined to him. "Easy," he had responded. "I'll tell you."

_Thanks. That's really helpful. All that comes out of your mouth is insults and demeaning criticism. You're a big help, you know._

But this morning, something was different. Even Rei could sense it, which meant that Sesshoumaru was fidgety and irritable. But, despite that, he was still inevitably _Sesshoumaru,_ which meant his fidgetiness was confined to _not being a statue._ "Wow, you're moving _a lot_ today," she said sarcastically. He shot her a glare, which she was used to now, seeing as she got it about ten million times a day, nonverbally telling her to shut up. She smirked.

"There's someone coming," he said simply, grating his teeth slightly.

Rei stared at him. "You're behaving as if you know this person," she said slowly. _Is it another demon? Someone who's stronger than he? Is he nervous?_ _No way,_ she thought, shaking her head. _He's got to be the strongest one around._

"Is it trouble?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Merely an annoyance. But perhaps…perhaps something useful to us," he said, almost to himself.

"That's rather crude how you describe everything and everyone as an annoyance. Am I an annoyance too?" she asked indignantly. But he was ignoring her now, which just proved how restless he was. Usually, despite her unceasing questions and comments, he always had something to say back to her. _I think he enjoys talkative people. I mean, me and Rin, that almost amounts to enough talking for six people. Although maybe he just wants to balance himself out. He hardly talks enough for half a person._

Then, out of nowhere, blew an intense gust of wind, so strong and so sharp, that Rei felt like it was ripping her hair out. Rin screamed. "It's _her,_ Lord Sesshoumaru!" The wind was so loud that Rei was shouting. "Who's her? Who's coming?" Rin only continued to scream in one long wordless shriek, confirming that whoever it was, wasn't someone good.

As quick as it picked up, the wind died down into a calm, cooling breeze. Rei wiped the tears from her face, as power of the blast had drawn tears to her eyes. When she looked up, there was a neatly dressed young woman, her hair done up in a bun, with jade beads trailing from her ears. She had a razor sharp smile, as she looked Sesshoumaru up and down. Rei suddenly felt incredibly defensive of her protector. Rin had fallen silent.

The woman smirked. "So Sesshoumaru, long time no see. I see you've picked up another human. Developed a fetish for them, have you?" she said coolly. Rei noticed that the woman had glowing red eyes, brilliant as blood. _She's not human, is she? She's another demon. One that knows Sesshoumaru. Will she want to kill me?_ Questions flooded her mind. But one floated hauntingly above all the others.

_Will he let her?_


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hooray for the tenth chapter! Reviewers: Wandering Hitokiri, Valinor's Twilight, Chibi Inuyasha Lover 4ever, Lady Riiko-Chan, White Alchemist Taya, and kuro-chan10307. Thanks again. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 9**

"Kagura," Sesshoumaru said darkly.

The demon woman laughed. "Oh, lovely. You remember me. We'll have a jolly old time together for the next few days."

Sesshoumaru looked down at her disdainfully. "I don't remember giving you permission to come with me for 'the next few days,' Kagura."

"Oh hmmm, very cute. Naraku has given me a mission. One that I think you will be interested in, as it involves you," she said mysteriously, her fan flicking dangerously back and forth between her hands.

"Oh? How convenient. I was just looking for him."

Kagura turned and purposefully shot a glance at Rei. "Charmed," she said precisely, _looking quite the opposite of charmed_, Rei thought.

Rei glared at her. "I'm sure we're equally so." _Judging by your expression, you look as if you just came across some revolting road kill. Yeah, that's what I usually look like when I'm charmed! _

Sesshoumaru stared on blankly, obviously not understanding this form of female retaliation, and when Rei saw his face, she almost laughed. Almost, but not quite, because there was still the inevitable presence of Kagura, very unwelcoming, and very sobering. Sesshoumaru decided not to question, apparently. He cleared his throat disapprovingly. "Kagura, would you give us the pleasure of describing exactly what your mission is? Because we are in the dark right now, and I, for one, feel rather obligated to know the contents of your mysterious little 'mission' before stumbling blindly after you on one of your goose chases," he said cuttingly.

Kagura sniffed. "So be it. I'll cut straight to the important part of the babble that Naraku told me, then. I'm supposed to summon you to come to Naraku's hidden castle, heretofore unknown, which you will have the privilege of seeing, and he has a favor to ask of you, which if accomplished, the rewards are great."

Sesshoumaru barked out a laugh. "Privilege? Dirty, piece of useless scum, he thinks letting me see his pig pen of a castle is a privilege? Good try, Kagura, but I have no interest in this. None, whatsoever. And I should think that Naraku has learned his lesson when it comes to asking for favors. Furthermore, he and I have a bit of a score to settle. I do not believe that doing a favor for him would be in my best interests."

"I was expecting you would say that. But think of the benefits of going, Sesshoumaru. Even you have not had much luck in locating him, so why not come under the pretense of doing him this favor, and then, when the time is right, kill him?"

He lifted an eyebrow. "You think that I had not thought of that already? Indeed, I have. But unfortunately, the suggestion is being presented by you, and I do not take suggestions from those who are not trustworthy."

"What? You don't think that I'm trustworthy?" Kagura said indignantly. "Why shouldn't you trust me? I don't like Naraku either, you know. What I tell you is always in your best interests, because your best interests are the same as mine." Her eyes narrowed. "For the moment."

"Naraku could be using you."

"He could. Or I could be using him. How are you to know until you try?"

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. "Hmmm."

Kagura laughed humorlessly. "I suppose that means you are considering my proposal?"

"I have made my decision already."

Rei jerked up at this and stared. _He better have decided not to go with this witch woman. She's an utter fright she is, and I would protest to going with her. She's insane if she thinks that Sesshoumaru would trust her. Whatever sort of connection do they have, anyway? Don't say yes, Sesshoumaru. For heaven's sake, don't you dare say yes._

"I will come with you."

"No!" Rei cut in suddenly and very loudly. Kagura looked at her with annoyance, and Sesshoumaru looked over at her with surprise, as if he had just noticed she was there. "Now, really, Sesshoumaru, teach the brat some manners, and tell her not to interfere when her betters are talking," Kagura complained.

Rei didn't wait for Sesshoumaru to defend her because she knew that he wouldn't say anything in her defense. "Look here, you woman, whoever you are, Kagura something or other, don't you tell me when to talk or not. I'll talk when I want to." Then Rei whirled on Sesshoumaru. "What are you thinking? We can't go with this woman! I don't even know who she is, and I object to going wherever this Naraku guy lives, just for the sole purpose of killing him. I don't take well to being put in danger. Oh yes, I know you hardly care about me, but think about Rin. You'll be putting her in danger too. I think that's rather irresponsible of you. Especially when you've been spending a bunch of time ensuring her safety and such."

Sesshoumaru looked at her with irritation. "In case you haven't noticed, Rei, I have been on the search for Naraku for a long while now, and this is an opportunity that I cannot refuse."

"Yes, but—"

"And furthermore, I did not say 'We will come with you,' I said 'I will come with you.' 'I' meaning me and myself, and not you or Rin. You two will be fine out here. If you cannot manage yourself, I am sure Rin will be able to take care of you," he said.

Rei disregarded the insult and concentrated on what really mattered. "No! You can't leave the two of us out here. We're coming with you!" She took Rin's arm and pulled her close. "We," she said pointedly, "are coming with you no matter what you say." _Okay, so I change my mind as easily as the wind, and I'm a filthy hypocrite. Whatever. He can't just leave us out here! I don't want to be out here without him. He's like a comfort object, something that makes me feel safe. I'm so utterly selfish, but I'm sure Rin feels the same way. Don't you dare leave us, Sesshoumaru._

Sesshoumaru looked at her coolly. "You just complained that you did not want to be in harm's way. Now you are saying you would like to throw yourself in front of Naraku. What is it you want, woman?"

"We're coming with you. We _want_ to come with you. Isn't that right, Rin?" Rei said firmly. Rin nodded vaguely, her eyes wide. Rei was satisfied. "See? She wants to come with too."

"Don't be ridiculous. The two of you will only get in the way," he said dismissively.

"No we won't! We'll be good and stay away, we promise!"

"No."

Rei was desperate. "Look. How about this? We'll just go with you until you're close to Naraku's castle, and then we'll wait outside the gates or something. Then you can do your fighting thing, and then when you're done, we'll be waiting. How's that?"

"No."

"Why?" Rei whined.

Kagura cut in with a response. "Because Naraku's castle isn't something that a human can identify. You wouldn't be able to tell it was his castle because you have no natural ability," she said condescendingly.

_What, is the entire world going to rub it in that I'm not "special" like Grandma is?_

"I can't even stand in front of a castle without special powers? I had no idea it was task that required such skill," she bit back sarcastically, covering up the hurt that swallowed her unexpectedly. _It's like you can't survive in the Feudal Era without being "gifted." How does the rest of the populace live then? Stupid, stupid mikos and their stupid, stupid powers. For once in my life, I just wish that Grandma wasn't amazing at everything. I feel like I'm constantly being measured up to her._

Sesshoumaru intervened. "Enough. I am weary of useless arguments. Rei, if you really, truly want to come along so badly, then you may. But I am putting Rin in your care, and you must see to it that she is away from harm. Understand? I will not leave you at the gates of Naraku's castle. You two must come with, if you are to come at all. But please do not purposely cause trouble for me. There will be consequences, remember."

Rei grinned in spite of herself and couldn't help but stick her tongue out at Kagura. _Take that, witch woman. Sesshoumaru likes me better, ha! _It seemed as if Kagura could hear Rei's inner gloating. She narrowed her eyes angrily and glared. "I object to this, Sesshoumaru. They're humans, and humans always get in the way. I'm sorry that you can't take your little harem with you, but more important things are at hand. And they would slow us down."

Rei was outraged. "Harem? Excuse me, _Kagura_, but we are not his…you know what. That's perverted and gross and obviously, you just are jealous that he would never entertain the idea of being…intimate…with you, so you can just shut your face and keep your stupid, snide little comments to yourself! We do have ears, you know!" she said, her face flaming with embarrassment. _That was slick, Rei. Way to totally incorporate Sesshoumaru's sex life into this, I'm sure he appreciated that a lot._

"Be quiet, both of you. My God, I am starting to regret my decision already. As if I did not have enough arguments already. Rei, you will not argue with Kagura anymore, and Kagura, the same for you," Sesshoumaru said loudly.

Kagura looked enraged. "I can say what I want, Sesshoumaru. You're not my master."

Cruelly, he returned, "Oh, my mistake. So I suppose you like Naraku better as your master, do you?"

Kagura's jaw clenched. "You take that back," she said dangerously. "Nobody's my master."

"Then you are delivering his message because you feel like being kind? How commendable of you," he said icily.

"Shut up!"

"That's what I thought. If you plan on us following you to your master's lair, then you will do as I say. Rin and Rei are to come with us. They will enter Naraku's castle with me, under my protection. No more arguments."

Kagura still looked angry. "Then I shall take them up on my feather so that we can go faster. Naraku wants us to go quickly."

"Naraku can shove it up his ass," Sesshoumaru said calmly, and Rei's eyes danced with glee. _Sesshoumaru, for the first time, you are my hero. That was amazing. You tell it to her! _"We are walking," he said with finality.

"But that will take days!"

"Then it will take days. We are walking," he repeated.

Kagura grumbled. "Naraku's not going to like this," she warned.

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Whoever said I was going to cater to Naraku's wants and needs? He is the one desperate enough to come to me for a favor. Either that, or flimsily try to lure me into a trap. A rather poor trap," he reflected.

"You're playing along," Kagura pointed out. "Maybe Naraku is playing on your curiosity. He's clever. Don't underestimate him."

Rei frowned. "I don't trust you," she said blatantly to Kagura. "I don't trust you at all."

Sesshoumaru turned his golden eyes on Rei coldly. "It is not your place to decide whom we are to trust and whom we are to not trust, human. I have allowed you to come with us. Do not try to push your luck."

Rei was taken aback, and she felt an unexpected lump grow in her throat. He hadn't called her "human" for a long time now, and she was growing comfortable in his presence. _Did he really just let me come, because I annoyed him with my talk? Not because…not because he wanted me by his side?_ She knew for sure that she didn't love him, or even have a childish crush on him, not at all, but she wanted to feel…like she wasn't just a burden to him. She wanted to know that she wasn't just a waif that he took in out of pity. Maybe she had wanted to be something more. A friend, maybe. Her mind had not decided yet, what it was, she was feeling. But Rei noticed Kagura smirking at her victoriously, and she couldn't help but feel lonely. It was as the brick wall that Rei had slowly been dismantling between her and Sesshoumaru, had suddenly built itself back up. And Sesshoumaru was unreachable again.

xXx

It was nighttime, after the first day with Kagura. Rei decided that she had gotten just about enough "personal time" with the witch woman; they were as opposite as could be, and first impressions apparently counted for a lot. Now while Rei admitted that she wasn't particularly eager to build up a friendship with Kagura, nor was she in the optimistically stupid belief that the two of them would be bosom buddies one day, she had somewhat hoped that they would at least be civil to each other, for the sake of the trip and for the sake of setting an example with Rin. Rei was always careful when it came to setting a good example for Rin. Not that her constant bickering with Sesshoumaru had increased her value as a role model, but usually, she behaved decently. But Kagura was obviously not inclined to the same intentions, blatantly ignoring Rei as if she were not there at all, and Rei was not the kind of girl who liked being left out. All of her attempts to make friendly conversation were halted by icy red glares from Kagura, or from snappy orders to "shut thy mouth" from Sesshoumaru. _Sesshoumaru, if you ever have kids one day, I'll put my fortune on it that they'll be mute, simply because you just refuse to give them the opportunity to exercise their vocal chords. Maybe their voice boxes will just wither away from disuse. Then we'll see how happy you'll be about that; a bunch of mute children, hooray! Bet that'll make your life._

Rin, on the other hand, didn't seem too concerned that Rei and Kagura were not becoming fast friends. Rin appeared to have a slight phobia of Kagura, actually, whether it be because of previous encounters or just plainly from the woman's frightening and stern demeanor, Rei didn't know. Though Rin was always a lovely and friendly child, who loved to explore, she was not very eager to get very far from the group now. Instead, she fluttered restlessly from Sesshoumaru's and Rei's side, depending on whoever Kagura was farthest away from. The child was terrified when the witch woman would glance at her, immediately shying away behind one of her protectors. With Rei, the girl was not afraid to take hold of a kimono sleeve and shield her eyes. With Sesshoumaru, she was conscious of the fact that she might slow him down, or worse, annoy him. Rei was doubtful that Rin could ever be in disfavor in Sesshoumaru's eyes; he seemed awfully indulgent of all the little girl's fancies, while putting on a smooth, cold, indifferent face to shield his care. _Oh brother,_ Rei thought cynically, _he's one of those guys who like to pretend like their tough but are really sensitive and nice inside. Sure, Sesshoumaru, you put on that face for everyone. I know that you're really just a softie. Okay, a softie with long sharp claws and fangs, and scary yellow eyes, and two big swords strapped at your side, but hey. You can't judge a book by its cover. You're all bark and no bite. Heh heh. I forgot. You're a doggie demon. Funny._

Indeed, Rin had told her a week or so ago what kind of demon Sesshoumaru was. Rei almost fainted from laughter. She would never have guessed. It was easy to tell with Inuyasha, his soft ears perched perkily on top of his head. Sesshoumaru was nothing like a dog at all. _I've never met a dog that could be this indifferent to everything. He wouldn't make a very loyal pet._ She was sorely tempted to jeer at him when he came back, but decided that her head was still a useful asset, and it would be quite inconvenient if it were sliced off by a certain dog demon.

Perhaps this was what Rei was thinking to entertain herself as she sat drearily by the fire, the first time without carrying on a lively conversation. Rin could not be coaxed to speak with Kagura there, and Sesshoumaru was not a talented conversation starter. Most likely, he didn't really care to have that skill. So the four of them sat in stony silence, and Rei wondered whether Sesshoumaru was irritated by the sudden change of his group in such a short amount of time. There had steadfastly been two in his group for hundreds of years. He and some little servant demon named Jaken, whom Rin had often said she missed. Then, a human child joined their group, and that alone, changed many things. Just recently, Jaken had left, to be replaced by another human: Rei. And then, Kagura joined, making them a very unlikely group. Rei learned that Kagura was from Naraku's group, which made her doubly suspicious of that witch woman (she did prefer to call her "witch woman" in the privacy of her mind). Sesshoumaru's main objective in life was to kill this Naraku character. So, apparently, were the objectives of many other people, Inuyasha's group, for example. _This Naraku guy must have seriously pissed off a bunch of people. He must have done something irrevocably bad because nobody wants to explain to me exactly what he did. I just know that we're hunting him and everyone hates him. Even witch woman seems to, but I don't know whether it's just an act or not. She's one of his henchmen, after all. Not trustworthy. I hope Sesshoumaru knows what he's doing._

She felt herself dozing off, the glow from the fire flickering softly against the back of her eyelids, the warm fuzziness singing it's own lullaby. Nobody seemed to be stopping her, so she leaned comfortably against the tree and let herself sleep.

She woke up, in what seemed only like a few minutes. It was dark, and the last embers of the fire were dying out, leaving an eerie red glow where the roaring flame once was. Rin was leaning against her shoulder, and Rei could hear her gentle breaths, in and out, deep and even. In the dim lighting, Rei squinted and could just barely see the soft outline of Sesshoumaru on the other side of the dying fire. He wasn't moving, so Rei assumed that he was probably asleep. Kagura laying by herself on one side, her eyes closed, her breathing light and sporadic. Rei gently lifted Rin's head from her shoulder and positioned the sleeping girl as delicately as she could onto the ground. She yawned, stood up, stretched, and crept into the forest to relieve herself.

The forest was filled with strange sounds. The night creatures had come out to roam, and Rei had never been terribly fond of wandering around at night. Finding a secluded place, she did what she had to do. Then, she hurried back to camp.

But wait. There was the horrible sound of slithering, whispering in a throaty, terrifying voice, saying something that Rei couldn't understand. _What is it? What if it's a demon? Oh goodness…I'm doomed._ It came closer and closer, and Rei felt fear constrict her throat to prevent her from screaming. Suddenly, it was there, wrapping its slimy coldness around her arms and legs and mouth, clattering in excitement at the catch. _Somebody, help me. Anybody. Please…please…_But it was squeezing the air out of her lungs, and her brain was dulling. Her vision grew foggier and foggier, and she knew that she was losing consciousness. _Fight it! Come on, do something, Rei!_ But she couldn't. The thing, whatever it was, seemed to be sapping strength from her very being. She struggled to keep everything from going black. _I mustn't die now. Not here. Not here._ But it was all over. The thing was winning, and it was hissing in happiness. _Please…please…_

There was a whoosh, like the wind, and a sudden slash. Air flooded welcomingly back into Rei's lungs and her mind immediately cleared. And with clarity, came the horrific realization that blood was splattered on her face. "W-what?" she sputtered incoherently. And as her vision swam back into focus, she saw who had saved her.

It was Kagura.

"I do believe that a simple 'thank you' would be nice," she said frostily.

"T-thank you," Rei managed to say. "W-what was that?"

Kagura stared at her with an expression of disgust on her face. "It was a demon, of course. What kind of animal do you think would do that?" she said with superiority, as if that was the simplest fact in the world, and that you had to be stupid not to know it.

"Well, where is the body?" Rei asked. There was no carcass lying about.

The witch woman waved her hand flippantly. "Demons always disappear when they're killed properly. If they don't disappear, you've killed them too messily, or they haven't been thoroughly destroyed. It's rather stupid if you leave a demon half-dead on the ground. If you're going to kill something, kill it completely so it won't come back to haunt you. They say that dead men don't tell tales. Dead demons don't tell tales either."

There was the sudden gleam of murder in Kagura's eyes, which made Rei shrink away, but then it passed. "Come on," Kagura said, as close to kindness as she could get. She held out her hand, and after a moment of hesitation, Rei took it. Kagura lead her past all the brambles with relative ease, and seconds later, they were back at camp.

Sesshoumaru was standing up now; silently watching the two of them make it back to camp. Kagura shot a glance at him. "You don't have to watch girls do their business. It's not very manly of you," she said brazenly. Rei flushed deeply, but in the dark, nobody could see. Sesshoumaru ignored her, deeming that comment not worthy of his response.

Kagura settled down for sleep once again, saying nothing about the confrontation. Sesshoumaru brushed over to Rei and looked down at her with displeasure. "You have blood on your face," he remarked. Rei grimaced. "Yes, I know."

"I do not believe relieving oneself involves blood," he said. Rei rustled around for a response, and failing to find one, debated telling him about the female menstrual cycle and how, theoretically, "relieving oneself" could indeed involve blood, but then, how that blood got on her face was a rather delicate and squeamish topic to broach. So, after much thinking, she decided on shrugging carelessly. "I probably scratched my face from the branches on the way here."

He snorted. "Do you think that I am daft? That blood is obviously not yours. I have a nose for a reason."

Rei was offended by this, because she had just realized something slightly disturbing. _Stop smelling my face, you pervert._

"Well, then, do you think I'm lying?" she said with feigned indignation, to see if he would back off.

He thought for a second. "Yes."

Rei threw up her hands in abandon. _You have no tact. At all. You don't accuse other people of lying, Sesshoumaru. Obviously, being socially charming is not your forte._ "Where do you think the blood came from?" she challenged.

Sesshoumaru didn't even bat an eyelid. "A demon. And Kagura killed it. I can smell her scent too." Oddly, Rei was much more offended by this statement. _Stop smelling Kagura. Stop smelling other people!_ She was actually more comfortable with him smelling her than him smelling Kagura. Her thoughts unnerved her slightly, and she made a mental note to slap herself later.

"Why did you ask if you already knew?" she snapped.

"I wanted to know why you lied to me," he said simply.

She stared. "Listen, I just didn't want you to be worried. It was no big deal," she said quietly, looking down at her hands. She looked up at his face and saw a look that was unfathomable. Suddenly, she felt a need to tell him everything and maybe, he would listen. Then, all of her worries tumbled out of her in one big breath. "I'm afraid for us. I'm afraid of Kagura. I don't know whether she is trustworthy or not, and she really doesn't act like she is. Do you really trust her?" she asked in a whisper, darting a glance over at the sleeping form of Kagura.

Sesshoumaru looked up at the sky. "She saved you, did she not?" he said, staring the stars. Rei frowned. "I suppose so. But something about her. I just don't feel comfortable around her."

He was silent for a long while. Then, "Go to sleep," he said. A little disappointed, Rei turned to go back to where Rin was sleeping. _What did you expect, numbskull?_ she thought miserably. _He trusts Kagura more than he trusts you._ But then, there was a firm grip on her shoulder, and she turned her head to see Sesshoumaru looking at her solemnly. "It will be all right. I know what I am doing," he said to her.

Rei was frozen in time for a minute. His eyes swallowed her, and she began to blush again. _Not now, Rei. Don't ruin the moment._ She felt scorched by the gold of his gaze, before he moved his hand away. _I hope you're right, Sesshoumaru. I hope you know what you're doing._ Impulsively, she reached up to touch his cheek, before she realized what she was doing, and her hand faltered. Sesshoumaru stared at her for seconds, and time seemed to stop. Then, he, in turn, raised his hand and brushed her cheek with the lightest of touches. He spun around on his heel, and strode away, without so much as a "good night."

Rei felt his touch on her cheek, even after she sank down to sleep. It was like streaks of fire on her face, and she touched it to make sure that there wasn't anything there. Her eyes closed, but her cheek still tingled. _Sesshoumaru…_

Rei dreamt of horrors. There was only blackness, and hard wind, cutting her face, her hair, and her cheeks. The wind swept her with extreme ferocity, so much that it hurt, that she was crying out in her head. Then, Kagura appeared, smiling sharp enough to cut, with eyes the same traitorous red, her kimono splattered with wet, fresh blood. Rei yelled at her, yelled until she was hoarse, telling her to go away and to leave her alone. Kagura smiled her razor sharp smile and pulled a small figure out from behind her. It was Rin. She was crying, her tears making clean streaks down her dirty face. Her hair was all messy and undone, the little pigtail pulled out, but the hair still cocked up quizzically where the pigtail had been. She was crying out for Rei, "Save me! Make the witch woman leave me alone!" And Rei was running toward her, trying to grab onto that little hand which meant the world. But she was running too slow, way too slow, her legs felt like they were moving through a sea of molasses. Kagura blew a puff of air and laughed as she sent Rin away on a feather, the little girl's crying growing more and more distant. Rei stopped running and stared in horror. "Bring Rin back!" she screamed. "Let her go!" But Kagura only smirked. "Of course. If you give me something in return," she said promptly. Rei felt feverish and the witch woman's voice faded in and out, like bad static and a radio. "Tell me! What do I have to give you? I'll give you anything! Just leave her alone. Give her back to me."

Kagura's face grew fearsome. Her small fangs lengthened into huge daggers, and her eyes grew larger, but the pupils grew smaller until she just had the whites of her eyes showing. Stripes grew on her face. Her hands grew claws, and they dripped blood. Rei was screaming, screaming, and Kagura was laughing as she came closer. But then, the witch woman melted into Sesshoumaru's form, and he looked displeased. He was saying something, but there was a roar in the background. "I can't hear you!" she shouted back. Sesshoumaru ignored her, and began to float away, just like Rin. "Not you too, Sesshoumaru! Come back! Come back!" Rei's screams melted into Rin's shrieks and Kagura's laugh, and there was chaos and chaos and chaos…

xXx

Rei awoke with a start. Her forehead was covered in cold sweat, and she realized that it was all just a dream. The day was bright, and sunlight was streaming in through the branches of the trees. She rubbed her eyes blearily and looked around. Rin was still sleeping, a peaceful expression on her face. Rei remembered the little girl's contorted face in her dreams and shuddered. It was all over now. _Just a dream._

The fire from last night was now just a charred hole in the ground. Rei stood up. Something was wrong. "Rin, wake up," she said, her voice rising in panic. _Oh no. Kagura, you did it, didn't you? How could you?_

Sesshoumaru and Kagura were gone.


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry about the long wait, but this chapter is longer than usual, so it all evens out in the end, I suppose. Thank you to: White Alchemist Taya, Chibi Inuyasha Lover 4ever, Valinor's Twilight, and Wandering Hitokiri. New reviewers (I love you): MysteriousStranger and Sachiko1991, please keep reviewing! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Mmmm, turkey. Now if you'll excuse me, now that I'm done writing this, I have to get to homework!**

**Chapter 10**

"Rin, wake up!" said Rei moaning frantically through her teeth. _Not good, not good, not good at all. Where did Kagura take Sesshoumaru? How dare she? I knew that witch woman wasn't up to anything good. _Rin was slow to wake, her eyelids slow and sluggish to open. "What is it?" she asked sleepily, stifling an enormous yawn.

Rei put her hands on the Rin's shoulders and said very seriously, "Something bad has happened. Very, very bad. And I don't know what to do."

Rin immediately shook herself awake, and worry flooded her open young face. "What is it, Rei? Tell me."

Rei suddenly felt incredibly inadequate, and tears started up in her eyes. _Stop it, stupid,_ she told herself sternly. _It's up to you to do something; Rin's the child here; don't scare her. If Sesshoumaru were here, he wouldn't want you to be acting like a sap._ "Sesshoumaru and Kagura are gone," she said flatly. If Rei were expecting horrified exclamations or murmurings of disbelief, she was highly disappointed. Rei answered with a bland, "So?"

"What do you mean, 'So?' They're gone, didn't you hear me? They're gone, and now we're stuck in the middle of the woods with no one. Is that not enough to panic you? Good God, what are we going to do? Things are getting worse and worse, spiraling downward and downward. Sesshoumaru is gone; what should we do?" Rei blurted out. _Is the girl slow in the head? We're absolutely doomed, doomed. Kagura took Sesshoumaru and now I have no idea what to do, where to go, and all Rin has to say to that is "So?" _

Rin looked sincerely frightened by Rei's level of terror, almost bordering on a rabid frenzy. Rin ventured timidly, "Calm down. They're probably just off wandering around somewhere; they'll be back."

"No! Kagura took him!" Rei said impatiently. "I saw her take Sesshoumaru in my dream last night. She took him away. What are we supposed to do?" Rei buried her face in her hands. _It's only been three weeks, and I've made a mess of things here. Am I supposed to go save him? I thought he was supposed to be the knight in shining armor, and we, the damsels in distress. And now I've let Rin be pulled into this predicament. I'm so horrible. Okay. Breathe. The least I can do right now is not alarm Rin._ Rei took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Rin. I shouldn't have let myself get carried away. Let's think of something together."

It was too late. Rin shook her head and took a step back, her wide eyes tearing up. "Lord Sesshoumaru hasn't been taken by Kagura. He's coming back. He always comes back! You're lying, aren't you? Stop playing with me, Rei. It's not funny! Lord Sesshoumaru is the strongest demon ever! He wouldn't let someone like Kagura take him away!" Her voice escalated until she was at a high-pitched whine, strong with confidence, but she faltered slightly at the end. Her eyes darted around the clearing, as if searching for some reassurance that Sesshoumaru was just hiding behind a tree.

Rei wagged her head frantically. "I'm not lying to you. She really did take him away. I'm sorry, Rin. She must have tricked him. You have to believe me. I saw her," she explained desperately.

Rin shook her head again, harder. "I don't believe you. Why should I? Lord Sesshoumaru has never left me behind. I don't believe you, I don't believe you, I don't believe you!" She started crying from fright. She put her hands up to her ears like a stubborn child and shook her head violently. "I won't listen to you, liar!"

Rei was at a loss. _I'm so horrible. Now I've scared her to death, and she won't listen to a word I say. How am I supposed to convince her? Sesshoumaru was the one constant in her life, and I've let him be taken away. What's a child to do? I wish I never came here. I wish I were at home. Stupid Sesshoumaru, why did you let the witch woman take you away? You're better than that. When I find you again, I'm going to give you a good talking to._ There. That made her feel slightly better. _We will find him. We will. Just got to convince Rin._

Before Rei could comfort Rin, there was a huge gust of wind that threw them both off balance. It was like the wind in Rei's dream. Terror struck Rei's heart. _It's Kagura. She's back._ Rei tried to see who it was, but she couldn't face the blustery gale without her eyes watering painfully. A wild hope rose up suddenly in her heart and a new thought struck her, _maybe it _was_ just a dream. Maybe they're coming back with breakfast and a lovely surprise,_ she told herself convincingly._ Good. I'm so glad._

But no. As the wind suddenly disappeared, Rei looked around with anticipation, and there was no Sesshoumaru. Only a triumphant, smug looking Kagura with a nasty smile playing on her face. She tossed the fan between her hands lazily. Rin squealed, the tears still clinging to her cheeks and rushed behind Rei. Kagura alighted delicately from her feather. "Hey. Didn't move an inch, as I expected." She sounded offhand, impatient. "Notice something off?" she asked malevolently, stepping closer.

Rei spoke up, her voice quavering, "What did you do to Sesshoumaru?" Rin trembled behind her protector.

Kagura laughed. "Ha! Do? I didn't do anything to him. I just took him away for a visit to Naraku. I'm sure you won't miss him terribly much. You two were just too slow to take along. He wanted you two to come along, but I knew that it was a stupid idea. You should be thanking me. Naraku would have killed you in a second. I was only doing what was best," she said feigning concern nastily.

Rei felt angry tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. "I knew it! I knew you took him! You stupid witch woman, Sesshoumaru wouldn't have let us die! Fine! You take Sesshoumaru. You take him. Your idiot Naraku won't be able to beat him. Naraku wouldn't be able to beat him in a thousand years!" she yelled back, fury bubbling up within.

Kagura smirked insufferably. "Admirable loyalty, but loyalty isn't going to get you anywhere, human. Your Sesshoumaru is gone." Her eyes gleamed evilly as a little grin set upon her lips. "And I think I'd be doing the world a favor by getting rid of two useless human girls," she said slowly. She raised her fan. "Maybe you'll meet your precious Sesshoumaru in the netherworld!"

Rin screamed. Rei felt the world slow and her body tense with fear. _We're dead. I'm sorry, Rin! We're going to die. _Then, the stern voice of Sesshoumaru floated into her head, pounding into her ears harshly. _Are you going to stand there and let her kill you like a rag doll? Do something, you idiot!_ It was drawling and cold, but urgent, and enough to clear Rei's head. _What am I supposed to do, Sesshoumaru?_ she screamed in mind. Sesshoumaru replied curtly, _What? Was the last week of training lost on you? I knew it. I knew an idiot human would never be able to make anything of herself._ Rei grimaced. _I'll show you, arrogant jackass._ She reached down to her waist where the sword was strapped.

_Concentrate,_ she told herself. She swept out the sword effortlessly, gliding as if it were on oiled silk. But Kagura was too far away, too far away, and the fan was slicing through the air, gracefully, slowly. _How am I ever going to get to her?_ Rei wondered hopelessly. Sesshoumaru's voice came back. _You'll never know until you try._

_Don't let go._ Rei ran madly toward Kagura whose thin wrist was flicking downward, creating a current as sharp as a blade. _Don't let go._ Rei was reaching, reaching with her sword, letting her arm extend. Kagura was so far away; Rei would never reach her, and the fan had almost created a perfect crescent. _Cut, downward, sharp, hard._ Rei flipped her wrist ferociously, and suddenly, the edge of the sword was right above Kagura's arm: the one that held the fan. The sword bit into pale, ivory flesh. Rei watched in fascination as red blood bloomed from the cut; it was almost artistic in its perfection.

The world spun back into its usually motion as Kagura let out a surprised yelp and jerked her wrist back. The cutting crescent created by the fan veered off course and sliced a tree in two, just behind Rin. Rin leapt up, shrieked and scurried away from the falling timbers. In the privacy of her mind, Rei fervently thanked whatever god had decided to turn on that "Sesshoumaru voice" in the back of her head. It had saved their lives.

Kagura was holding her bleeding wrist in her other hand. She had pulled her arm back before the sword could completely sever her hand. She was glaring at Rei with a look of blind hatred. Kagura breathed raggedly. "I'll kill you, for that," she said, her voice as hard as cold steel. "I'll kill you. But not today. I'm going to let you suffer in the wild, with no one to protect you and watch with pleasure as a demon rips you apart. No Sesshoumaru here to save you, girlie. That wound you gave me was pure luck on your part. Saved your pitiful skin for a few days at most, while I will be as good as new in hours. You're going to die, Rei. Both you and the girl. I hope you die wretchedly. I hope you die alone."

And with that, she plucked a feather from her hair, stumbled onto it, and flew away.

Rin was shaking violently and silent tears were streaming down her face. Rei was dazed. _Poor Rin. She must be really frightened of Kagura. Hello? What's this?_ Rei had a sizable cut on her own arm, probably grazed by the passing crescent of wind. In her fury, she hadn't noticed it. It was bleeding plentifully, and Rei pressed a sleeve to it to staunch the blood. She edged up cautiously to the crying girl. "Rin?" she said softly. "It's okay now."

Rin shook her head earnestly. "No. It's not okay. You were right, Rei. Lord Sesshoumaru's gone; the witch lady said so! What are we going to do? I'm sorry I didn't believe you." She cried harder. "What are we going to do?"

Slowly, Rei put an arm around her. "Don't cry. We're going to find Sesshoumaru. Just you wait. We'll find him. I promise."

"But how?" Rin wailed piteously, "We don't know where Naraku's castle is. We don't know anything. And we won't be able to beat Naraku when we get there! You made Kagura go away, but she's still going to come back. Naraku is ten times better than she is. If Naraku can beat Sesshoumaru, then we'll be nothing to him!"

Rei had to admit that the girl had a point. In all of her determination, Rei knew that the chances of them finding the castle were slim, and the chances of beating Naraku were nil. _We need help,_ she thought. _Grandma._

She hugged Rin. "Don't worry. We're going to Edo. We're going to get help."

xXx

Luckily, Edo was less than a day's walk away. In classic Sesshoumaru style, before Kagura had arrived, they had been traveling in circles around the village. Rei found that even the most trivial things, like Sesshoumaru's lack of directional skill, brought bouts of tears to her eyes. _Stop crying, you idiot. Crying doesn't make anything better. They taught you that in kindergarten. Sesshoumaru hated stupid things like crying. He would be insulting you brutally if he could see you right now._ And that always made things better, until Rei remembered that Sesshoumaru wasn't there and _couldn't_ see her. Then that started the whole vicious cycle over again.

Rin, on the other hand, had been determinedly cheerful for the entire trip. Rei could see a piece of the little girl missing; Rin was a little emptier than before, but she was still smiling the entire time, chattering about this or that at random times. She had obviously not had a problem picking herself up and accepting the situation. Rei hadn't seen her cry since Kagura left.

"Rin?" Rei asked, her face still blotchy from the tears. Rin had blissfully been ignoring the sporadic crying, much to the relief of Rei, who was rather ashamed of her inability to control her emotions. It wasn't even as if something vital had been taken away from her; like a loved one had died or anything. It was _Sesshoumaru_. Stuck up, annoying, _perfect_ Sesshoumaru. She disliked him. She sometimes even downright hated him. But she still missed him terribly. He was like a rock, a solid, comforting, reliable rock, that she could always count on to be there. If everything changed, if Japan just blew up into a million bits, somehow, she could still see Sesshoumaru standing in the rubble, calmly surveying the surroundings and saying, "How terribly inconvenient," in that faintly displeased voice of his. Rei giggled involuntarily at that. But now, Sesshoumaru was gone, and the world had been turned upside down. If not even the great Sesshoumaru could defeat Naraku, what hope was there left for the rest of the world?

"Yes?" Rin answered, jolting Rei out of her miserable reverie.

"How can you be so happy?" Rei asked morosely, her eyes puffy.

Rin smiled and said, "Because you promised."

_Huh?_ "What did I promise?" Rei asked, genuinely confused.

"You promised that we would find Lord Sesshoumaru. So everything's okay!" Rin said brightly.

Rei felt her heart lift. _She's so simple-minded. Silly girl._ Rei wiped her tears. _Does she really believe that? Does she really believe that we can defeat Naraku when victory has eluded Sesshoumaru for so many years? Maybe…maybe…either way, you need to get a grip on yourself, Rei. You're a blob of pessimism; it's a wonder that Rin hasn't thrown you off a cliff in disgust yet._

They arrived on the outskirts of Edo soon after the exchange. It looked the same. Peaceful, as if untouched by the war that ravaged the rest of the countryside. Kaede's hut was still there, nestled between two larger huts. Clean, wet clothing flapped in the breeze on a clothesline in front of her house, signifying that someone was indeed home.

Rei reached the door, her heart pounding in anticipation. _I hope that Grandma and them are here. I hope that Kaede isn't mad at me for leaving without saying goodbye. I hope I didn't make her too worried. I hope they'll help us._ She knocked. After a few moments of breathless waiting, there were quick, rhythmic footsteps to the door. They sounded too fast to be the steady plodding of an old woman. The door flung upon, and a silver haired, doggy eared man dressed in all red stood there, his displeasure filling the entire doorway.

"What the hell do you two want?" Inuyasha asked sullenly.

Rei almost melted to the floor in relief. "I'm so glad to see you."

Inuyasha's ears twitched in confusion. "Do I know you? Or the kid?"

_He doesn't remember?_ "You don't remember me? I saw you less than three weeks ago. I'm that other girl from the future. The one that Kaede picked up on her doorstep." She was rewarded with his gaping look of incomprehension. She sighed. "The one that came out of the well. Rei? Me? Anything?"

She watched as recognition lighted up Inuyasha's features. "Oh." He turned around and shouted, "Kagome! It's that weird girl from your time." He looked down at Rin and added loudly, "And she's got some random little girl with her!"

Rei bristled. "I am not 'weird,' and she is not 'some random little girl!'" she protested.

Kagome appeared at the door. "It's you!" she said in surprise. "We thought that you were either a goner, or you'd somehow gotten back to the future." She paused and surveyed Rei. "Wow, you look a lot different," she remarked. "Prettier. Where'd you get those clothes?"

_Oh! I almost forgot that I was wearing these. I guess that's why Inuyasha didn't recognize me. I was wearing that gray sailor fuku the last time he saw me._ "I got them from…" she trailed off. _Should I tell them about Sesshoumaru? I suppose I have to tell them eventually since I do need their help._ "Sesshoumaru," she finished hesitantly.

There was a simultaneous response to that.

Inuyasha said, "Sesshoumaru!"

Kagome said, "Sesshoumaru?"

Then they both looked down at the Rin and said, "Rin!"

Inuyasha scratched his head. "So the runt is Rin. I didn't recognize her without Sesshoumaru hanging about."

Kagome went into a string of questions and apologies. "You were with Sesshoumaru? Oh goodness, I'm so sorry we didn't go looking for you, we thought that you had gotten back into the future somehow. Did he hurt you? Where is he now? What happened? I'm so sorry!"

Rei opened her mouth to reply but Kagome ushered them inside with a motherly air, clucking at their reluctance and coaxing them into the sitting room. Kaede, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were there. Kagome pulled up chairs for Rei and Rin. "Sit, sit!" she insisted.

They sat. Then the bombardment of questions came. "How are you? What? You were with Sesshoumaru? Sorry, so sorry! We should have gone to get you? Did he attack you? Are you all right? Sesshoumaru, really? I can hardly believe it!"

_Goodness, I'm getting a migraine from all this noise. Are you going to let me talk or not, people?_ "Shut up!" Rei said loudly to dispel the babble. Instantly, the talk died down. Rei took a breath. "Are you going to be quiet and listen?" she asked. There was a quick and eager nodding from everyone. "Yes, I was with Sesshoumaru and Rin." Immediately, she saw eyebrows lifting and mutterings begin. Kagome looked like she was about to jump up and inspect them for injuries. Quickly, Rei added, "We are fine, really. Both of us."

Kagome asked timidly, "Are you sure?"

Rei sighed deeply. "_Yes_."

"You're not hurt at all?" They seemed to find it hard to believe.

Rei said sharply, "Sesshoumaru was very good to me. He was exceptionally good to Rin. Neither of us ever had a problem being with him."

Inuyasha muttered, "Yeah, I'll bet you didn't. Knowing Sesshoumaru, he probably just wanted another whore to play around with."

Kagome and Sango let out scandalized gasps. Kagome uttered a shrill, "Sit! Don't say something so obscene!"

Inuyasha struggled up from the ground and said defensively, "But it's true! He doesn't just take girls in out of the goodness of his heart. There ain't none of it there!"

Rin, who had been sitting very quietly and humbly next to Rei, piped up, "You take that back, mister! Lord Sesshoumaru is the nicest, kindest person that I know, and you shouldn't say something like that about him!" she said indignantly.

Miroku shook his head. "Naïve little child. Must have been brainwashed by Sesshoumaru somehow," he said wisely.

Heads nodded in sympathetic assent.

Frankly, Rei was getting severely angry as she listened to the talk. _What do they have against Sesshoumaru that they shouldn't believe us? We've told them over and over again. Is it so hard to believe that Sesshoumaru might actually be good? And poor Rin! They're treating her as if she's an interesting specimen of liar. Horrid, horrid people. _She blurted out, "Don't treat Rin that way! We're not animals to be observed for strange behavior! Sesshoumaru was very good to us. In fact, if there's anyone's morals to be questioned, it's Inuyasha's!" She jabbed an accusing finger at him. "You cut off Sesshoumaru's arm! How dare you! What a cruel and barbaric thing to do! What did he ever to do you, hmmm? I don't see any disfigurations upon your person! You're such a hypocrite, saying that Sesshoumaru wasn't good. You're ten times worse!" Her eyes were shining with tears. _And now he's gone. And it's probably my fault. _She shook herself. _Stop it, you buffoon._ She blinked them away.

Inuyasha jumped up in indignation. "Do you know why I cut off Sesshoumaru's arm? Or was he just too cowardly to say it?" he sneered. "He was trying to kill Kagome and me! What else could I do, huh? I was trying to keep him from slaughtering us!"

Not to be outdone, Rei leapt up as well. "No, he didn't tell me that. Probably because he was too upset about it as it was. If he wanted to kill you, he would have done it in an instant. You're no challenge to him! But you're still alive and well, standing there like the blatant idiot you are."

Inuyasha snorted loudly in disbelief. "So we're just alive because he didn't want to kill us? Using that reasoning, then the rest of the living things in the world are just alive because he doesn't want to kill them! Pfft, you're pathetic, human."

_I came for help, and everything is going wrong. I shouldn't have flared up like that. But Inuyasha is such a jerk! And I thought Sesshoumaru was annoying. He wasn't half as cocky as Inuyasha is. I'm not going to sit here and feed his ego. He needs to learn some manners too._ Rei had done her fair share of crying that day already. She was not usually one to weep, but the past few weeks had worn heavily on her nerves. The crying tantrums she'd had that morning had increasingly fueled her disgust and anger. Instead of crying again, she decided that anger would be a better and less taxing response.

"I hate you!" she yelled most unceremoniously with a surprising vehemence. The gathered company recoiled. But then, astoundingly, she smoothed the front of her kimono carefully, composed herself and said very apologetically, "I'm sorry that I ever came here for help. Rin and I probably could have gotten a good head start by now without all of this nonsense. And who am I kidding? Even if you all did decide to help, I'd probably end up shooting myself in the face before we even got anything accomplished." Perhaps the last bit was said slightly more sadistically than necessary. But the rest of it did sound very proper and sincere. Inuyasha and the rest of them stared. This was a most unexpected turn of events. They had expected screaming and yelling and jumping to Inuyasha's responses. But Rei was never one to play other people's games.

_Let me just keep my dignity and get out of here. I don't want to cry about things anymore. I am perfectly capable of acting the part of an adult, thank you very much._ Very politely, she finished, "Thank you for letting us in. We won't be wasting your time any longer. You can continue looking for Naraku, and we shall do the same. The best of luck to us both." Inside, she was thinking, _And I was confused as why there were so many separate groups out searching for Naraku. I had thought that they should have worked together. Hah! Obviously, Sesshoumaru is smarter than me. I shouldn't have even thought that we could have gotten along. Sorry, Grandma, but Inuyasha would drive me over the edge._

Visibly concerned, Kagome said, "What? But you've hardly stayed! And what's all this about Naraku? Perhaps we can look for him together? There is always strength in numbers."

Rei gave a strained smile. "Of course there is. But in this case, separate is probably best." She turned to Rin. "Ready to go?"

Rin jumped up and grinned. "Yup."

They made their way to the door. Inuyasha followed them to the door. To Rei's grateful surprise, he leaned toward her ear and muttered, "Sorry if what I said offended you. You can stay if you want to."

_Wow. Maybe he's not that bad. He's being the bigger person and apologizing._ She wasn't one to hold grudges. But she smiled and shook her head. "We'll leave."

Kaede came to bid them goodbye. Rei apologized to her. "I'm sorry I left without telling you. It kind of slipped my mind when I met Sesshoumaru. I'm horribly bad at remembering things. I hope I didn't cause you too much trouble."

"Not at all," she replied in her kind old voice. "I was hoping that you'd gotten home somehow, but all the same, I'm glad to see that you are unharmed. I hope you find what you are seeking. Take good care of the little one. We'll see each other again, I'm sure."

Rei was surprised at the old woman's surety. "Yes," she said.

After goodbyes from everyone, Rei finally was able to make her leave, not as hastily as she would have liked. "Come on, Rin," she said, and taking the little girl's hand, they walked away from the village without revealing their true purpose after all, and without looking back. They had hoped for help, but someone had willed it not to be so. This was a battle they would have to fight alone.

xXx

_Well, that was a no go,_ Rei thought after they left the village. _Who in the world are we going to ask for help? If even demons can't detect something as huge as a castle, then we could wander for the rest of our lives and never even catch a whiff of it. So who can we ask? More accurately, who can we ask who would know and also want to tell us?_ Rei was in deep contemplation of this when Rin voiced her thoughts out loud.

"How are we going to find Naraku's castle?"

_If we ask someone, it's going to have to be either a very knowledgeable demon or someone in Naraku's inner circle. Hmmm. Even if I happen to catch a demon, how am I supposed to know whether it's part of Naraku's gang?_ "I really, really don't know, Rin. Do you have any ideas?" she asked hopefully.

Rin scratched her head. "You could ask a demon."

"I'd already thought of that, but I'd rather not end up getting on the wrong end of its claws. Isn't there a safer alternative?"

"Well…who else would know? We can't rely on someone who would be able to detect demonic aura—Naraku does a good job of hiding it," she said matter-of-factly.

Rei bit her lip. "True. I was thinking of another option, maybe a miko. But you're right. A miko wouldn't be able to detect Naraku. Unless she already knew him by acquaintance and was part of his crew. Which would by definition, sort of eliminate said person from consideration as a miko."

Rin jumped at that. "Not necessarily. You might be onto something. There are black mikos. And black mikos use the same powers are regular mikos, only in reverse. They don't purify, they only pollute, and they might be people that Naraku would consider employing."

Rei suddenly widened her eyes and stopped walking. "I've read about black mikos…and they are exactly who we need to find. Rin, I know why nobody has been able to find Naraku," she said, her voice rising in excitement and horror. "He's been using a black miko! Black mikos can make barriers that are seemingly pure, and shield demonic auras! We've got it!"

"Y-you're right…I can't believe that nobody thought of it before, but I suppose that's because black mikos are usually rare. They're mikos gone bad, and people don't usually decide to go into priestess training if their hearts are easily corrupted. There aren't any that I've heard of, and if we find one, chances are good that that one would be Naraku's."

Rei thought hard. "How are we supposed to find one? We've gone from looking for the impossible to looking for the nearly impossible, which isn't much of an improvement."

Rin shrugged childishly. "I don't know. Black mikos travel alone."

_That would be a formidable problem. Actually, now that I think about it, this doesn't seem like a much better option to looking for Naraku, as either way, I'll probably get killed; black miko doesn't quite imply "nice" or "eager to help." But seeing as there is no other choice—other than wandering around aimlessly until my death day—I suppose we'll have to go with this. Darn it, now we're going to have to find one of these damn black miko things._ She was struck with an idea, not a very happy one, mind you, but it was an idea. Unfortunately, this idea involved wasting their last ten minutes and going back to Kaede's place._ Grandma is a miko—er, sort of. She might know something about black mikos. Relying on the information of an eight-year-old girl who displays no obvious traits of magic isn't really too promising._

And so, fruitlessly, the two trudged back to Kaede's. This time, however, everything was accomplished rather quickly. Rei refused the offer to go back inside, only asked for Kagome, and asked about black mikos.

Inuyasha, ever curious and nosy, had to tag along to the door, and was back to making snide remarks about everything that happened to come out of Rei's mouth. "Hey, lady, do you have an unrelenting death wish, or what? First you hang out with Sesshoumaru for two weeks, then you're off to go Naraku-hunting—you're new escapade is to goad a black miko? This sounds real safe. If you were smart, you'd take my advice and back off. You ain't gettin' anywhere."

Just for that, Rei decided against telling Inuyasha about why black mikos were important. _Hmph_, she huffed, _if he's so smart, let him go figure it out himself._ Kagome was initially hesitant in giving out potentially dangerous information, but after some poking and prodding, she reluctantly said that there was indeed black mikos that she knew of. Actually, one black miko. She was exceedingly powerful and once known to be connected to Naraku. Rei was overjoyed. _That's got to be her._ "But we killed her," Kagome protested. "We saw her die."

"What's her name?" Rei asked persistently.

Kagome chewed on her lip nervously. "Tsubaki. If she's still alive, which I very much doubt, I would stay away from her."

Rei shook her head grimly. "Kagome, you must know by now, that we're not going to take your advice. We're going to find Tsubaki. I know she's alive. You said yourself that there aren't many black mikos. Tsubaki was probably the only one. We're going to find her no matter what."

Inuyasha snorted. "You sure are stubborn, I'll say that much."

Kagome said, "I like people who try hard. You'll be fine. But be careful for me, okay? Next time we meet, I want you to be alive to tell me all about it."

"Of course."

_Right. We really are leaving this time and not coming back in the next twenty minutes. We've got this Tsubaki person. She'll probably slaughter me in two seconds, but I have to try, at least._

xXx

Tsubaki's shrine, or at least where she used to be, was not far. Rei was beginning to feel supremely grateful that everywhere seemed to be situated around Edo. Sesshoumaru wasn't wrong in going in circles, stupid as it was. When they reached it, some hours later (Rei's feet had gotten much more used to the large amounts of walking accomplished every day; Ah Un had disappeared some days ago, and whether or not he simply decided to leave, or was killed, no one knew. Rin was upset, but after Sesshoumaru disappeared, the whole incident was almost forgotten), they discovered that it was a quaint, pleasant looking shrine, if a little old and worn looking. It was well kept, so it was evident that someone was living there. It did not personify the trappings of an evil woman, but Rei reminded herself that Tsubaki was an ordinary, good miko once.

It was an occupied shrine, that was to be sure, but currently, there was no movement, and the entire place was shrouded in ominous silence. Nervously, Rei took Rin by the hand, and they went up together to knock. The door was huge and wooden and old, so that their knocks resonated throughout the entire place. There was no sound for the longest time, and the two thought that no one was there, when the gentle patting of feet could be heard. The door opened.

There stood a young woman, obviously a shrine maiden, dressed in the red hakama and white blouse, her hands folded demurely in the large, corded sleeves. "May I ask your business here?" the woman said, her voice quiet and high, very clipped and efficient.

Rei hesitated. She couldn't very well say that she was looking for a black miko; it would be an insult to the shrine, and they would shoo her away, no doubt. Timidly, she asked, "We're looking for a miko by the name of Tsubaki? We were told that she resided here. Do you know of such a person?"

The young woman narrowed her eyes and cast a suspicious glance over them. "Our head priestess did once go by that name. But since then, she has changed it. What need to you have of her?"

_Ah ha! So there is a Tsubaki here. She must have decided to change her identity after the ordeal with Grandma. Not a surprise. I must speak with her._ Floundering, Rei struggled to come up with a formidable reason. "Well, you see, I…what I mean is…I'd rather it if our affairs were conducted in privacy," she finished lamely.

As if that were a perfectly reasonable excuse, the young shrine maiden nodded. "I shall inform her of your visit, and it will be her decision as to whether or not to see you." With that, she smartly shut the door on the Rei and Rin and left them wondering outside.

There wasn't much to say between the two, only a wordless waiting. This meeting could determine whether or not they could find Sesshoumaru. Rei could only imagine what he could be doing right now, whether Naraku had him in his grasp already, or whether Sesshoumaru was winning, or whether…she didn't really want to think about it. She clenched her jaw and strengthened her resolve. _I must find him._

After what seemed like an eternity, the door finally swung open again, to reveal the same shrine maiden, a disapproving grimace on her lips. "The mistress says that you may see her."

"Thank you."

"Follow me."

They were lead into the shrine, across the courtyard, into the back houses, through a labyrinth of gardens and target areas where young aspiring mikos practiced. It seemed like any ordinary shrine with students. There was no hint of anything amiss.

The young woman that was leading them stopped at an inconspicuous door. "The mistress is within." She added, "Her name is Anako."

Rei nodded curtly. "I see. Thank you. We shall be fine from here."

Their guide bowed briefly and left. Apprehensively, her fingers white and jittery, Rei pushed open the door.

It was a well-lighted, well-ventilated room. There was a bamboo desk, and a woman sat behind it, writing something elegantly with a brush and ink. She did not look up. Rei assumed that this was Anako, or otherwise known as Tsubaki, and squeezed Rin's hand tighter. Rin was silent.

Anako did not look up as she wrote, but said, "Looking for Naraku, are you?"

_How did she know?_ thought Rei frantically. _She really is magic. She is the real thing. She's got to be Tsubaki for sure._

Anako continued, her eyes still fixed on the paper in front of her, "My name is Anako. But yes, I was once known as Tsubaki. And it seems that I have become Tsubaki again."

Finally, she paused. Very calmly, she put down her brush, surveyed her work, and laid it aside to dry. Only then did she look at the two girls standing before her. "I can tell you where he is," she said. "But it is your choice whether or not to trust me. And also, it is your choice whether or not you will go. Essentially, you can make the choice whether or not you will live or die."

Rin made a frightened sound in her throat. Rei stiffened and said, "Tell me more."

Anako raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow. "You've chosen then? This quickly? You're life is not such a trifling thing that you can play with it as easily as you are now."

Rei didn't move. "I made my choice a long time ago. Before I came here."

"So you did," Anako said, watching her as a cat might watch a bird. "I hope you don't regret it."

"How kind of you to be concerned. Regret is something that I don't engage in."

Anako let out a harsh laugh, contrasting her pretty voice. "What if you lose? Did you think of that?"

Rei snorted. "I don't plan on losing," she said primly. _Sesshoumaru taught me that._


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: I didn't have any time to spare because of finals, and this chapter had been almost complete, but I spare any time to wrap it up. But here it is. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks to all who reviewed in the last chapter and the chapters before that. Merry Christmas, and a very Happy New Year to all!**

**Chapter 11**

Anako's lips twitched in a wry smile. "So be it, then." Under her breath she muttered, "The young ones always are so optimistic. Pity them."

Rei studied this Anako-Tsubaki woman. Rei had expected someone old and decrepit, like the hags in witch stories, but it was not that case at all. She was surprisingly pretty. _That's not right. Not pretty. She's utterly gorgeous._ And it was true. Rei sensed that Anako was old; it seemed as if she had seen much of the world, but none of it shone in her appearance. Flawless, silk-petal skin stretched across her cheeks; not a wrinkle could be found across her face. Her eyes were a deep penetrating blue-green, such an intense color that it always seemed like the woman was trying to pierce through one's soul with her gaze. The only hint of her age was her hair, and even that was perfect. Cascades of perfectly brushed snow white hair swept down her shoulders, silky and shiny as a young girl's. _Now that I think about it, I suppose it wouldn't make sense for witches to be ugly. Why would they be, if they could change their flaws with magic?_

Anako watched them with her blue-green eyes now. "You want to know where Naraku's castle is? Ha, but he would be so furious if I should tell you," she said half to the girls and half to herself. Rin and Rei unconsciously leaned in closer to hear what she had to say.

Anako stood up and ambled slowly to the window. She stopped before it and stared outside, tracing the elegant bamboo frame. "Did you know that I worked for Naraku once before?" she asked with a vague wave of her hand.

_Come on, old woman, tell me where the freaking castle is, and we can all go about our business and be merry,_ Rei thought impatiently. Instead, she replied dully, "No."

"You wouldn't, would you? Would you ever work for Naraku, if given the chance?" She paused temptingly. "The rewards are very great. For me, it was the almost-complete Shikon Jewel, an object of magic that could work wonders and grant my wildest dreams. But for you? Who knows? Anything is possible. He could offer you anything you wanted."

Rei put her hands on her hips angrily. "No! How could you even ask such a thing? I've never met this Naraku character, true, but I know for a fact from good people that Naraku is evil. And I would never work for him, no matter what he offered," she said stoically.

Anako sighed. "You are so inexplicably young. I hate the youth. They never understand anything. Tell me, girl, if you are so sure of yourself, tell me: what is good and what is evil? What allows you to deem your friends 'good' while condemning your enemies 'evil?' What if it's the other way around and you have been fooled all this time? Or are you too close minded to believe it?" Her eyes were fixed intently on Rei, demanding an answer.

Rei shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "Naraku has killed and pillaged and caused misery for many, many people. Isn't that bad enough? What kind of good person would go around and deliberately try to cause pain and misfortune?"

Anako cackled and slapped her thigh. She was, in all manner and personality, an old woman, but in looks, she was a blooming fresh girl, hardly older than Rei. It was unnerving. "Your Sesshoumaru has done such things as well. How many people has he killed, hmmm? You don't know, do you? You, poor, innocent thing, have no idea. And Inuyasha, he has killed many also. That miko reincarnation, Kagome. Humph." She spit on the ground to show her contempt.

"Kagome hasn't ever hurt anyone, you old hag!"

Anako raised an eyebrow. "Really? That you should be so naïve and trusting is quite amusing. Quite annoying as well. So Kagome hasn't killed anyone? I thought you were friends with a demon. Kagome has killed many of his kind. Kagome has attempted to kill him. You're friends are a paradox, and you refuse to admit it. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha are enemies, and always will be. Naraku and Sesshoumaru are enemies and always will be. Whose side will you take? In the end, does it really matter who is the good side and who the evil? In the end, all that matters is whether or not you are on the winning side."

Rei took a quivering breath. "I tell you, Kagome has never destroyed a life. Not one that didn't deserve to be destroyed."

The white haired woman frowned. For minutes, she did not speak, only trained her gaze outside and stared at something only she could see. Then she took a heavy breath and released it. "I will help you find Naraku's castle."

Rei was surprised. _That was easy. I wonder…this old woman…I wonder._ "Thank you," she said simply.

Anako did not reply. Instead, she said, "You said that Kagome has never destroyed a life. How untrue. She so excelled at destroying mine." Her mysterious eyes were unfathomably sad, but there was a flash that Rei did not recognize. Anako finished, "You may go now. I will call you…later. When I so choose."

xXx

The curt shrine maiden who had led them in showed them their rooms. They were nice rooms. Hikawa shrine seemed to have been designed to be a bright and airy place; it exuded purity and cheer. The shrine maiden, on the other hand, did not exude any of that. She was very sharp and brisk, telling them where everything was, explaining how everything worked, making sure they knew where to find help. While Anako was fluid and graceful, the bolt uprightness of the shrine maiden was a huge contrast.

The room had two beds, soft mattresses propped on intricately manipulated bamboo frames. It seemed like bamboo was the theme. Everything was made of bamboo. There was one large window that took up about a fourth of the wall. It let in the sunshine and fresh air.

Rei plopped down on the bed experimentally. "Nice," she said in approval. Her mind went over the encounter with the black miko. _She's an odd one. But she's been very helpful, and I'm starting to wonder whether or not I should trust her. She is a _black_ miko after all. They aren't exactly known for benevolence and good works. She tried to get us on Naraku's side. What's that old thing up to?_ These were the thoughts that ran through her mind as she sat pondering what was to become of their rescue mission. If they ever actually got to the rescuing part.

Rin whined, "When is Lady Anako coming to get us?"

_Good question. I was hoping that it would all be quick and easy; she would tell us everything, and we would leave. But at this rate, we could be kept here for days! Who knows what could have happened by that time?_ "I don't know," she said in reply. "We'll just have to be patient. I know that you want to leave. I do too. But we can't ask Anako to hurry it up, or else she might get angry and then what will we do? No, we're going to have to wait for her to tell us of her own accord."

"Do you think we can trust her?" the child asked innocently. "What if she's lying to us?"

"We don't know. We're just going to have to trust her. We have nothing else to go off of."

_Isn't that the truth?_ she thought wryly.

xXx

Dinner, when it came, was simple, but there was much of it. Rice balls and freshly steamed fish, and real, cooked vegetables. _Oh but I haven't had vegetables in the longest time! _Rei thought ecstatically when she saw the tray of food. _I can't believe that I'd ever miss those things, but I do! Having mushrooms and roots for days in a row, _raw_ no less, is not my idea of a fulfilling meal. Rice! Haven't had that in _forever._ It tastes like heaven._ The fish was actually seasoned, instead of bland like it was in the wild. Rei never knew she would be so grateful for such simple things as salt and pepper.

A different shrine maiden delivered the food. This one was timid and afraid of everything. "Is the food to your satisfaction, milady?" Then, she would instinctively recoil as if she were expecting a shoe to be thrown at her. Rei was almost wary of speaking too suddenly or too loudly. _She might go into a faint if I startle her._ But after many apologies on the shrine maiden's part, and many reassurances on Rei's part, Rei and Rin were finally left in peace to eat their food.

Rin piped up, "I'm bored. We've been alone for the entire _day._"

"Too true," Rei acknowledged. "Jeez, I'm convinced that there's absolutely nothing to do in this room except stare stupidly out the window or make fun of the shrine maidens in the shrine. My God, you'd think that none of them have a _regular_ personality. Or maybe they just don't get out enough to get used to strangers."

"Can we go exploring?" Rin asked eagerly. "Maybe there's something interesting to do."

Rei shook her head grimly. "I wouldn't want to make Anako angry. Plus, we'd get lost. Or mistaken as intruders and shot down immediately. I don't know about you, but I don't quite feel like dying today."

Rin giggled. "Me neither." She stuck out her belly and rubbed it. "Especially since I'm so full I can't even try to run away."

They piled up their empty bowls up on the tray and left it outside the door. Rei walked over to the window for about the ten millionth time of the day and stared out. It was a strange night. There were no stars to be seen in the inky black sky. Back in the modern era, Rei didn't expect to see stars when she looked up; the city was far too bright. But she'd gotten used to falling asleep watching the filmy spill of galaxies across the blue-black spread of velvet sky. It was odd that she couldn't see it now. Not even the moon. It was a moonless night, but Rei was sure that it wasn't the night of the new moon. It had been half full only yesterday.

_How odd. But perhaps it's just the position of Hikawa shrine. Maybe it's just not easy to see stars from here. Maybe there's too many…I don't know…torches or something? Or maybe Hikawa shrine is just defunct. Yeah, I like the explanation._

xXx

Bright and early the next morning, Anako summoned the two of them back into her "office." Although Rei was glad that Anako hadn't forgotten them (she had been slightly worried that Anako would just let them stay in those rooms and stew for the rest of eternity), she was slightly irked that it had to be six in the morning. _Curse you old women and your early rising habits! Man, I swear that when I'm an old woman, there is no way in hell that I'm getting up before nine._

But instead of telling them where Naraku's castle was, she putted around and combed her hair, remarking, "You know, I was a good miko once. Oh yes, I am a black miko now, but I was a good miko. Once. Do you want to hear the story?"

_Oh my God. This woman is flipping insane. What are we, her little pets that listen to her childhood stories? Is this what old people become? I hope I never get old._ But obviously, she didn't say that. Instead, she said impatiently, "Yeah, sure." Under her breath, she muttered, "Whatever floats your boat, crazy old woman."

Anako shot her a piercing glare, as if she heard what had been said. "Once upon a time," she began in a reedy, tipsy voice, which truly suggested that she was either drunk or a lunatic, "I lived happily with my parents. When I was seven, they died, and I was sent to a shrine, to be a shrine maiden." She shrugged. "At least I would get fed and clothed that way. I had wanted to grow up and get married, like any little girl. I didn't want to be a shrine maiden."

"Why did you then?" Rin said. "You could have done something else."

"The world is not as easy as you expect, child. You don't always get what you want. I learned that young. So I went to the shrine, and I trained. I became very good and the head priest delighted in my progress. I was happy too. I wanted to be the best of the best. If I was going to be a miko, I wanted to be the best miko there ever was."

Rei rolled her eyes as inconspicuously as she could. _Is this supposed to go somewhere? Maybe she really is insane. Maybe when Grandma and Inuyasha attacked her, she just lost it._

Anako continued, oblivious to Rei's musings. "Because I was so talented, I found it difficult to make friends. Everyone was jealous of me."

Rei couldn't help letting out a snide remark. "Of course it was because you were talented and not because you were socially impaired."

"No," she shot back. "Of course you wouldn't know anything about the setbacks of being talented. There's hardly any talent that anyone could be jealous of in your case."

Rei gasped with indignation and opened her mouth to retort, but Anako put up her hand. "Anyways," she went on pointedly, "I was all alone at Hikawa shrine. But then, a new girl came. Her name was Kikyo, and her parents had been killed in the surrounding wars as well. I was twelve by that time, and so was she. She brought a younger sister who was only three or four years old. She was in the same predicament; there was no where else for her to go. Kikyo started fresh in training, where I had been training for almost five years. But the speed at which that girl learned was incredible! Neither the head priest nor I had ever seen anything like it. By the time we were fourteen, she was at the same level as me. I thought it was slightly unfair that she was so naturally gifted where I had to try hard, but I bore no grudge. Kikyo was my _friend._ She was kind to me as no one else was."

Rin had been listening quietly and obediently but a gleam of recognition flashed in her eyes when Kikyo's name was mentioned. "Lady Kikyo!" she exclaimed suddenly. "I remember her. She saved me from the band of seven. Is that the Lady Kikyo that you speak of?" she asked eagerly.

The older woman seemed irritated that her story kept being unjustly interrupted. She ignored Rin and spoke louder. "Even friendships go wrong. Ours went wrong when we were sixteen. Up until that time, we were inseparable. No one understands mikos. No one understands the self-sacrifice it requires; we were both doomed to a life of loneliness and service. We would never marry, never have children. And so, we sought comfort in friends who were in the same situation. It was only the two of us. The rest of the training shrine maidens had fallen far behind by now. They would never become true mikos like us. The best they could ever aspire to be was caretaking for a small village. Curing small illnesses and warding away minor demons; that was their call. We were going to be two great women. We would be given all the important, dangerous tasks of ridding the world of strong demons. Even Kikyo's younger sister, Kaede, I could tell would never reach her sister's level. Talent is strange like that. It only gifts a few.

"So we were fast friends. But in time, I saw that Kikyo was different that I. She wanted to be stronger than me, better than me. The only way she could accomplish that was loosening her heart from all worldly ties. We had been growing estranged. One day, we were sent off to extinguish a troublesome demon that had been plaguing a village a few miles away. This demon was a bother. He was hard to defeat, even with the two of us combined. I was not at my best that day, and I got injured in the midst of battle. The demon struck a fatal hole into my stomach. As I lay there on the ground, helpless to move, groaning in pain, I expected Kikyo to come to my aid and forget the demon for the time being. She did not. She continued to fight the demon without throwing a second glance in my direction. I wanted to call for help. I wanted to tell her to stop and help me, but I was too proud to supplicate to her when she wouldn't do it of her own free will. Kikyo defeated the demon herself.

"She came over to me and helped me up. With infinite care, she dressed my wounds, but I could feel the rift between us. She would have let me die if that was what was required to kill the demon. When we returned to Hikawa shrine, Kikyo told the head priest that she did the whole mission herself. She said that I had been 'indisposed.' It was from then on that the head priest gave the most perilous missions to Kikyo. I had been put at second best. Our friendship was over."

Anako had a dreamy look in her eye. "It's curious how such a simple thing can destroy a relationship so easily. It wasn't really all that defined. We just drifted apart after that, until it seemed as if we had never been friends. And those who are not friends, are enemies. I vowed that I would never let Kikyo beat me. And I got the perfect opportunity. We were fighting together again, as we sometimes did, on and off. When we finally defeated the demon, I discerned my chance. Kikyo was weak then, she would not be able to ward it off. Miko though I was, I knew some curses, at least. Ha, Kikyo thought she could best me. I cast a curse upon her. It was a simple thing, I thought. It really didn't restrict her in much, only in what a miko was expected to do in the first place. I forbade her from falling in love. I thought it an easy thing to avoid.

"Kikyo seemed to think so as well. Good for her then. If only she had listened to me, she wouldn't have got herself into so much trouble." Her voice lightened in anger. "And then the day came when the sacred Shikon Jewel was found." She rested her gaze on Rei. "And you know who the head priest gave it to for purification? Not to me, oh no. He gave it to pure, precious, wonderful Kikyo. As if she could do it better than I. I protested. I told him that I was fully ready, spiritually and physically to do the task. But the head priest brushed me aside and told me that his decision was final. He had chosen Kikyo for the good of Japan. I saw my purpose and life floating away. My dislike for Kikyo turned swiftly into hatred. I had been trained as a miko, for what? I wasn't the best anymore. I couldn't offer my services anywhere. I would be a lowly shrine maiden for the rest of my life. I was furious.

"If I couldn't be the best, then I wouldn't _be_ at all. I told the head priest that I was done. I became a black miko."

She took a deep breath. "Using my newfound powers and abilities, I attacked Kikyo with my shikigami. But she reflected it and gave me this scar—" she pointed to her eye, "—and I went into hiding, a woman defeated. I did not come out until Naraku offered me fresh hope. Hope for finally defeating Kikyo via her reincarnation. Who was I to care what version of Kikyo it was? They are all the same."

Rei growled. _They are not all the same. Grandma is Grandma and not this Kikyo woman._

Anako set back, apparently done with her tale. "Do you understand now? It was not my fault that I became a black miko. Kikyo pushed me over the edge. Sometimes, the evil are not so evil after all."

Rei couldn't comprehend her logic. "You still did wrong. You can't fight fire with fire. Kikyo may have goaded you, but you had the choice to be the bigger person and do the right thing. You didn't, and that's your fault. And you cursed her! Perhaps her curse had adverse effects that you didn't know of. Did the curse come true?"

"I cursed her, but I told her my curse. She could have heeded my warning, but she did not. A few months after I had gone into hiding, I heard rumors that Kikyo had been killed by her lover, a hanyou. I had succeeded after all. But it was a bitter victory. I had lost some myself in the process. I wanted a true victory, a complete and utter victory. And so, I took Naraku's offer of revenge."

Rei was adamant, "You shouldn't have done what you did. There are no excuses for that, no legitimate reasons. What is evil, is evil. You can't explain it away."

Anako sighed. "The young are so ignorant. You still don't understand." She waved her hand flippantly. "Leave now. You aren't ready."

xXx

"For crying out loud! We aren't _ready_? Stupid, stupid woman!" Rei was very capable of using much stronger words than those, but since Rin was in tow, she decided to rein in her frustration to less curse-wordy exclamations. "What does she mean by _that_? What was the _point_ to her story anyway? Okay, we get it. You had a sucky, horrible life. What do you want us to _do _about it? You've already lost. I think it's time to forgive and forget, instead of plotting in a corner like some maniac world-domination freak."

Even Rin was frustrated. "I want to go find Lord Sesshoumaru. This is taking _forever_."

"I agree."

Dinner that night was eaten with a flood of complaints and grievances. Rei highly irritated. But she had to be patient. There was no one else who had an earthly clue where Naraku could be hiding except Anako. Unfortunately, Anako seemed rather disinclined to give up that information without force-feeding the two of them an autobiography.

"I'm bored," said Rin.

"Same."

"Can we explore tonight? I don't want to be stuck in this room again. It's so _boring_."

The rational part of Rei's brain told her that it wasn't a good idea. They could get caught. They hadn't particularly said that they could not wander around, but then again, they weren't told that they _could_ either. They would make Anako angry…

"We're going exploring," Rei said decisively, with a measure of satisfaction.

Rin cheered.

"Yup, we're going exploring, and Anako can just shove it. Come on."

Cautiously, the two of them snuck out of their room, nervously glancing around to see if anyone was watching. No one was. The entire shrine was quiet. Everyone usually went to their rooms by eight o'clock at night. It was already well past nine. Rei felt guilty for doing what was probably not allowed, but she had a strange, brutal joy at doing it as well, just so she could make Anako angry. _God knows, she's made me angry enough times._

Rin tripped and gave a small yelp. Rei swiftly cupped her hand around Rin's mouth. "Shhh," she whispered, "Don't let anyone hear us." Wordlessly, Rin nodded, Rei's hand still enclosed on her mouth. Rei removed her hand.

It was clear outside, and like before there were no stars. No moon either. It leant a mysterious and frightening element to the night, and Rei was afraid that someone would just pop out of nowhere. But no one came out of their rooms. Most of windows were dark, meaning the shrine maidens had already gone to bed. It was to be expected; they were usually awake by daybreak. Anako never seemed to come out of her office enclosure, and she did not speak with anyone unless the situation was dire. Rei, then, was confused as to why she was so intensely talkative around her.

The shrine was not particularly interesting, and not even night could lend it some mystery. It was dull and bland and all the rooms were in plain view. But, no, here was something. Rin tugged on her sleeve. "Look over there," she whispered. Rei squinted. She could barely make out the darker shadows of a smaller corridor. "Hmmm," she murmured, "Let's go check it out."

It was extremely narrow and obviously was not meant for people to go through it. But Rin insisted that she could see doors in the far back, and Rei acknowledged that she didn't have the best of eyesight. But even Rei, who was slim, had to slip through sideways. "Maybe this is just supposed to be a space between huts," she grumbled, when she finally went through. But Rin was already skipping ahead.

It was all bare walls, but the corridor seemed to go on forever. Rei felt like it was as a dream. She could see the end of the hallway, but just barely, and it seemed as if it were miles and miles away. She began to say, "I don't think there's anything here, Rin," but the little girl was far ahead now, calling back, "We're exploring. It doesn't matter if there's anything here."

_Actually, I was hoping to find a clue, anything, something that she's hidden away, maybe a map to Naraku's castle or something. Rin seems to think this is one big adventure. Oh well. I doubt there's anything condemning in Hikawa shrine. Looks just like any other one. Who knows? Maybe they all have weird corridors like this one._ Rin was humming now, all caution forgotten. And really, they didn't need to be too cautious; all of the rooms were in the main courtyard, and they were in some strange alleyway that looked like it hadn't been swept in two thousand years. _I bet the shrine maidens don't come in here._

"Rei, Rei, look!" Rin said suddenly. Right in the middle of the corridor, there was a stubby, square wooden box sitting in plain view. They had not reached the end of the alley yet. "What's that?"

She bent down to inspect it, and found it odd that it was right there. "It's not a box," Rei said in surprise. "It looks like the entrance to a well. In fact, it looks just like the Bone Eater's Well. That's strange." She fingered the wood. It was dusty and dry and felt like it would crumble to powder beneath her fingertips. Her hands instinctively grasped the rim below. She would lift it, if she could. It was heavy, for such an old, decrepit piece of wood.

"Help me lift it, Rin."

Rin dropped to the ground. "Why?"

"Because. I want to see what's inside."

"It's just a yucky old well. There's nothing inside. Not even water."

Common sense told Rei that much, but she wanted to see anyway. Its presence disturbed her. "Yes, but how do you know? It's in the middle of a corridor, there could be dead bodies inside it."

Rin recoiled. "Ewww, that's disgusting. Don't open it!"

_Probably shouldn't have said that._ "I'm just kidding," she amended hastily. "There probably isn't anything in there, but I want to see anyway. Just help me for a minute. You get the other side."

"Okay," Rin said skeptically. "If you're sure." She went to the other side and grabbed the rim with her chubby fingers.

"Watch for splinters," Rei warned.

They lifted.

A huge blast of air came up unexpectedly from underneath, hitting them with the pungent smell of mildew. It was dark, and they couldn't see anything inside at all. The opening was enormous and gaping, like a huge mouth waiting to consume them whole. There was the unpleasant scent of rotting meat wafting up.

"Hellooo!" Rei called into the hole. It echoed forever. "Wow, this thing is pretty deep." She scanned the ground for something suitably useless and throw-able. The ground was made of hard packed dirt. But the walls were made of stone and brick. Rei pried a small pebble lodged surreptitiously in the gap. She threw it into the well. She counted five seconds before the faint "plop" came up. "Holy crap, this thing _is_ deep. It's like a cavern." And there was no ladder or anything. In fact, judging from the size and build of the hole, it more resembled a large underground football field with an escape hatch in the ceiling. In other words, there was no way to go down into it. For that, Rei was mildly relieved. She was not anxious to go into that deep…whatever it was, and if it had been accessible, she might have felt obligated to "check it out."

She opened her mouth to say something, but a distinct rustling noise and a moan rose up from within. Rin leapt up, stricken with terror. "There's something in there," she whispered hoarsely. "Let's get out of here."

They both scrambled up and ran, ran, ran in the opposite direction without looking back. They didn't even bother to put the lid back on, and it was leaning askew on the opening of the well.

They ran all the way down the corridor, terrified the whole time that something would be right behind them, slipped through the space between the huts and dashed haphazardly back into their room. Not until they had slammed the door shut and fastened the lock, and Rei leaned up against the door and slid down, huffing and puffing, did they look at each other.

"That," Rei declared, trembling, "was probably the stupidest idea that I've ever had the misfortune to act on."

xXx

The next morning was another one of those uneventful mornings where Anako called them to her office. It was early, as usual, and while Rei was groggy, she was still conscious enough to realize it probably wasn't the most intelligent of things to tell Anako what had transpired last night. So she smiled, and acted cheery, and said nothing.

"It is looking stormy today," Anako said, as a means of greeting. "Maybe it will rain."

"Maybe," Rei said, pasting a false smile on her face, attempting to keep from choking from her impatience. She said carefully, "Are you going to tell us today?"

Anako shrugged. "Perhaps. If I feel you are ready."

"And when will we be ready?"

"When I've made you understand."

"Understand what?"

"You'll see."

Rei reined in her impulse to scream. "Endow us with your knowledge, then."

Anako sniffed. "I took up Naraku's offer of revenge," she continued with her story, as if a day had not elapsed in between.

_Maybe old women have no sense of time._

Rei interrupted, "But you didn't get revenge. Kagome almost killed you. And now you are working for Naraku again? Haven't you learned your lesson the first time?"

Anako glared at her. "I give up," she proclaimed suddenly, throwing her hands in the air in defeat. "This is going nowhere. I thought that you would have gotten some _clue _at least by now, but I was mistaken. It seems like I can't make you understand after all. I tried. I truly did. Now it is up to Naraku."

_What's that old woman raving about now?_ "What are you talking about?"

"Even now, you have no idea of what is about to befall you," Anako said excitedly, her voice increasing in intensity. "I still live for revenge. And I am about to get it. Oh how long I have waited. The chance has finally come."

Rei felt a spine-tingling fear spiral up her back. "What are you talking about?" she repeated, her voice softer this time, from fright.

"Do you not even know yourself? Look at yourself, girl. You look so much like Kagome. Like Kikyo. I wonder that I haven't seen it before. Another reincarnation? I think so. I know exactly what to do with you. Naraku wants you for his own purposes, those of which I do not know. But he assured me that you would be done away with, and my revenge complete. However, I am a fair woman. I gave you the chance to realize the truth and get away. Several chances in fact. But you dismissed them as the trivial rants of a madwoman, did you not? It isn't my fault if you are too thick to pick it up. Kagura did her job, and now I've done mine. We are about to win. You, my dear, are the key to our victory. My personal victory and Naraku's as well. No more reincarnations. No more stupid mikos getting in our way. I can't sense any spiritual power from you, but you must be hiding it somehow. You are the Reincarnation. You are Kikyo. You are Kagome."

"No!" Rei cried in a panic. "You've got it all wrong! I'm not Kikyo or Kagome. I'm Kagome's granddaughter. I can't be her reincarnation if she's still alive!"

"Alive now. But what about in your time? You're another one of those futuristic girls, and I know all about them. You foolish child, thinking you could trick me into thinking that you are not the one. One glance at your face can tell me enough. You look remarkably like Kagome. And Kagome looks remarkably like Kikyo. It doesn't necessarily mean you look the same. It means you look similar and act similar. I've never seen an obstinate girl as Kagome. And yet here you come, waltzing into my midst, daring to believe that you could rescue Sesshoumaru from the jaws of Naraku's castle. You are not only stubborn, but also stupid, and only a human on top of that, with no particular powers yet to show. They would show in time, but we'll have you dead long before that."

Rin blubbered, "D-dead? Why would you kill her? She hasn't done anything to you!"

Anako ignored her. "Naraku is ecstatic, I can tell. His original plan was to simply get rid of Sesshoumaru. But as Kagura stayed with him, she noticed how alike you were to Kagome. She suspected that something was a-foot. And so Naraku decided to get rid of a small problem like you quickly, before you could turn into a pain. Two birds with one stone. And now, he has you both."

Rei was scared senseless. She thought about making a break for it, but her legs wouldn't move. Anako wouldn't let her get more than two feet away anyway. So she cleared her throat and said with much more bravery than she felt, "Either way, you're going to have to get me to Naraku's castle first. And that would be helping me, since I'll be able to find Sesshoumaru. You will have to take me to my destination. I've outwitted you after all."

Anako laughed, a nasty sound. "Poor girl. Like I've always said, 'pity the young, they're far too optimistic.' You are the same. You will not find Sesshoumaru. You've had all the time in the world to do it already."

Rei felt her heart tighten in despair. _You…it was a trap. The well should have told me that._

Anako grinned. She waved her arm, and suddenly everything began to change. The walls melted in on themselves, and the ceiling lowered. The room became much smaller. The wide, spacious window that had been filtering in bright sunlight collapsed and the room flickered into darkness. The plants, paintings, and decorations disappeared. Everything was black now. A strong demonic aura glowed from all around. The transformation was complete.

Anako's clothes changed from white and red to midnight blue and black. She cackled. "Do you see now?" she said, howling with laughter. "Hikawa shrine…is Naraku's castle."


	13. Chapter 12

A/N: Very, very, sorry guys. I had a major case of writer's block, as you can tell, since it took me forever to update. Thanks for being so patient, and I hope I haven't lost your interest yet! I will try to get things done in a timely manner, although I can't promise anything right now. Enjoy! And for goodness sakes, drop a review.

**Chapter 12**

_Shit. Shit! Shit! Shit! Oh God, this is really bad. In fact, of all the bad situations I have found myself in, this is probably the worst. Easily the worst. _Rei stared, shocked at the sudden change of her surroundings. The room no longer resembled a shrine in the slightest. But there was really no time to contemplate that. Anako was cackling like a maniac, which added to the hellish din. _I have to get the hell out of here. NOW!_

Without even looking to see whether the position of the door had changed, Rei grabbed Rin's hand, and _ran._ Out of sheer luck, the door was still there. Rei grabbed the doorknob with such ferocity it might have fallen off, gave it a good twist, threw that blasted door open and got herself out of there. There was not time to think. She could either go left or right. The most plausible, probably more intelligent choice would be to go left, since the exit of the shrine happened to be located in that direction, but given the urgency of the situation, Rei did not pick the more intelligent or plausible choice. She went right.

She had not turned around to see Rin's response to this; she was only sure of the fact that Rin's hand was securely locked in a viselike grip in her own, which meant that Rin was definitely there. If she had turned around to look, she would have seen utter terror written upon Rin's face, and maybe a touch of confusion. Luckily, Rei look back, for it might have distracted her, and distractions were what she needed the least right now.

The corridor was long, and blessedly, no shrine maidens had come out to catch them. In fact, the shrine looked utterly deserted, but Rei could still hear Anako's grating laugh in her ears. She did not stop to consider the fact that she was in Naraku's castle, and it would have been perfectly easy for any one demon to come locate her and kill her. It did not occur to her that Anako could easily cause her death in a few seconds time. Fear had numbed her senses, and she knew only to get as far away from Anako as she possibly could. There was a smaller alley that branched off from the main corridor, and Rei took it. It was much darker here, but the demonic aura seemed to lessen somewhat.

Rei had not been aware of the fact that she could detect a demonic presence, but then again, how was she to practice in the modern era? Her senses were weak, so the lesser demons had not been noticed. Inuyasha was only half-demon and also triggered no response. Sesshoumaru must have been doing something to hide it, for his was probably the only one she would be able to make out, but she hadn't ever noticed his either. But Naraku's was so blatantly powerful and hit her with such a blast that it made her vaguely nauseous and gave her a headache. She did not have time to think about it at present.

Suddenly, they hit a dead end. There was nowhere else to go. _Er…this is bad,_ she thought deliriously. She finally turned around, and Rin looked half dead from all that dragging; her shorter legs had barely been able to keep up, and Rei had been running as fast as she possibly could with a small person in tow.

Scanning frantically down the length of the corridor behind them, she noted with relief that there seemed to be no one following. It seemed odd that Anako had not snatched them up immediately following her triumphant speech, but perhaps she had enough time in the world and wanted to toy with them. _That's rather cruel. Not that I'm going to complain since her cruelty just bought us more time to…live…hopefully._ "Come on," she said with determination. She turned tail and straight back to the main corridor.

Rin tugged on her hand. "What are you doing? They're going to kill us if they find us! We have to find somewhere to hide!"

Rei stopped, turned around, knelt down and looked Rin square in the face. "You know what I'm doing? I'm saving our pathetic asses, that's what I'm doing. We're going to die here. We are absolutely, positively going to die here. I could tell you not to be afraid, but you would be scared anyway, right? We're going to find Sesshoumaru. If anyone can save us and kill Naraku, it's him. We're totally lost without him. Are you with me?"

Rin gave a small nod.

"Good. Let's go."

Rei flew down the hallway and went back to the courtyard. _The well,_ she thought. _I definitely heard something in the well. It could be Naraku. It could be an ass load of demons. Hell, it could be the fucking cookie monster. But it could be Sesshoumaru. Worth a try. Going to die anyway._ It was really quite amazing how reckless someone can become on the verge of death. But Rei was an uncommonly motivated person, and right now, she was motivated to try her hardest not die. Or at least something like that.

Somehow, miraculously, there still was no one to be seen. No Anako, no Naraku, no anybody. Rei was incredulous. _There's no one looking for us at all? I thought Anako wanted to kill me? I thought Naraku wanted to kill me? Where is everybody?_

In a rush, they squeezed through the crack in the wall, down the secret corridor, until the well came into view. _Someone_ had replaced the lid "Come on," Rei beckoned, "help me take off this thing."

"Why? Why are we looking for Lord Sesshoumaru in an old well?" Rin asked incredulously.

"Do you have any better ideas?" Rei demanded, while huffing and puffing from the effort of lifting the lid.

"No."

"Then help me."

With a united effort, they managed to throw off the lid. Rei stared hopelessly into the gaping hole. _I can't see _anything_. I don't even know how deep this is. How are we supposed to get inside?_

Rin looked into the hole and then looked back at Rei, her eyes glittering with fear and skepticism. "You're joking, right? There's no way we can get down there without killing ourselves."

There was a hullabaloo coming from the entrance of the corridor. Rei squinted to see what it was; madly hoping it was help of some sort. But it was obviously not help. There were several dark figures swooping down the length of the alley with alarming speed, rushing closer and closer, and almost positively bringing certain death with them.

Rin screamed. "What are we going to do?"

"Rin," Rei said, her voice quavering, "I don't think we have time to decide what we're going to do." She pointed to the well, shaking, her hands cold with fright.

"No!" Rin shrieked. "No way! You are NOT going to make me go in there. We'll die falling!"

"JUMP!" Rei grabbed Rin's hand, held it tightly, to prevent the screaming, squirming girl from wresting out of her grasp, and leapt into the well, dragging Rin with her.

Falling in the blackness was something that Rei had definitely not experienced before. Rin was still screaming, understandable, since the both of them were most likely about to die in a few seconds time. Rei formulated a vague thought that the well was incredibly deep, since they were still falling, and since she was still thinking about dying and not actually _dead_ yet. _I've always hated heights. This is probably the last way I would have chosen to die. And God, what a terribly ironic example of dying before you were even born. I'm not going to be born until five hundred years later. Am I just going to go in this endless cycle of being born, living, falling into the past, and dying again? Why the hell am I not dead yet? Where the FUCK is the bottom of this thing?_

Right when she had begun to think that the well was a bottomless pit, she hit bottom.

xXx

And no, for some reason, she was not dead. It was a hard, yet soft landing. Hard, since she had fallen several hundred feet at least, and soft because although the initial impact had knocked the breath out of her, she was still alive, and didn't seem to have broken anything. There were, however, many large bruises, but Rei was thankful that they were only bruises, and she hadn't been beaten into a bloody pulp by the fall. _Er…what? This is the bottom of the well?_

Beside her, Rin groaned. "Ouch. That hurt."

Lying there, an aching pile of flesh and bone, Rei looked up, and saw the tiny opening above which revealed the night sky. There was a scraping noise, and then the sky disappeared. She and Rin had been sealed inside. Alarmed, she eased herself up on her elbows, and managed to struggle into a sitting position. She noticed that she was sitting on an unfortunate mess of slimy something. A soft, slimy something. "Rin, get up," she urged.

Rin groaned again and sat up, coughing. Her eyes darted around and assessed their surroundings. "I-I can hardly see a thing! It's so dark in here." From what Rei could make out, it was a spacious chamber, empty and cold, of gray cement-like material, supported by stern, rectangular pillars of the same material. It looked very much like a cold, damp basement.

"Ew!" Rin exclaimed suddenly. "What are we sitting on?"

"Me."

With utter horror, Rei realized that someone had replied, and it was _not_ her. _Not me, not me, not me. Dear God, it's not me!_

"Who is it?" Rei whispered hoarsely.

There was a smooth, bubbling laugh. The voice was male. Rei quivered. _Who is it? Who…?_ Then, came the most frightening answer she could possibly imagine.

"Naraku."

Before she could even think, there was a flurry of motion. She felt a slimy tentacle wrapping itself around her waist, and she heard a sputter of fear from Rin before it was stifled. And before she knew it, she was face to face with a man. _No, not a man. His eyes are red like Kagura's. His hair is long and filthy looking, and his smile…it's not human._

Naraku was laughing, a quiet, satisfied smirk. "Rei. Another silly girl from the future. But you are not as smart as dear Kagome, are you? Got yourself caught, didn't you? You walked right into the jaws of death without even a thought. You didn't think. You thought you could come here and save Sesshoumaru? It's too late for that, girl." He chuckled darkly. "A pretty plan." He held her up closer, and she could smell his putrid breath. "How amusing. I have the whole Sesshoumaru collection, along with his precious little girl. How angry he will be when he finds out you've let him down, Rei. You were supposed to protect Rin, were you not? But don't worry; you'll never have to face his wrath. Both he and you will be long dead before then."

He tightened his grip on her. The tentacle squeezed her, like a boa constrictor would squeeze its prey. The air was cut off from Rei's lungs. "Can't…breathe," she gasped, and Naraku only laughed. "Well," he explained mincingly as the tentacle became tighter and tighter, "That is the whole point, you know."

The pain was unbearable, and she thought she was going to explode and splatter right onto Naraku's grinning face. She screamed. Naraku immediately slapped a tentacle right over her mouth. The pain intensified, and she could only think of the cold, wetness that lay repulsively on her lips, like a bad kiss. Her vision grew fuzzier. _Air…air…it hurts…_

xXx

_Am I dead? Somehow, I imagined death to be more…comfortable than this. _

Rei's cheek was pressed to the hard, cold, _wet_ ground. Her eyelids felt like they were being weighted down with stones. _So tired. My throat hurts. Where am I?_ She felt extremely disinclined to get up. _Maybe I'll just sleep. Just for a few more minutes. A few more._ And she was about to, except a large cold raindrop plopped down onto her face. _Erg! The world is just opposed to giving me any luxuries whatsoever. Even sleep. Apparently, sleep is a luxury now, instead of a necessity. Stupid, miserable world._ She put her palms down on the ground, and with her eyes still closed, managed to push herself up, despite the immediate soreness that she discovered was present in her arms.

She cracked a sleepy eyelid and scanned the room. She was in a cell. It was dark and dripping, and there were patches of darkness on the ground that she was sure were standing water. She could feel the heavy dampness sinking like wet silk on her skin, sending a pulsing ache to her bones. _So this is what being in prison feels like._ The walls were solid stone, and they glowed with a strange aura, not demonic, no. It seemed almost like a wall of pureness, but there was something off about it. And in a second, Rei realized that Anako had made that barrier.

A second later, she realized something much more important and much more frightening. She was alone. It dawned on her that Rin was gone, and she had no idea where the little girl was, whether she be dead or locked up, by herself and crying, or been submitted to something even worse. She felt a sudden lurch of sickness and guilt rising in her stomach, and she retched. She hadn't eaten for a while, and there was nothing to vomit up, but the sensation was horrible and made her raw throat feel even worse, not to mention leaving a sour taste in her mouth.

Rei hadn't cried since that horrible night when she realized that she could never return to the modern era again, but she cried now. There was no one to see her anyway. She missed Rin. Rin had always been by her side, an ever-cheerful ray of sunshine in the worst situations. Even when Sesshoumaru and Kagura had disappeared, Rei had never felt completely hopeless because Rin was there. And Rei remembered that it was her sole job to protect Rin. But how could she protect Rin from someone like Naraku? How could she protect Rin when Rin wasn't even there?

On lonely, quiet nights, Rei had missed Sesshoumaru. The separation was bad, especially the first few nights that he'd disappeared, but eventually, he had faded into a memory, an ever-present memory, but still just a memory. Rei suddenly discovered, as she wiped her tears, that she could hardly _remember_ Sesshoumaru anymore. She remembered feeling happier and safer when he was around, and she could recall his face, but everything was fading into the fog of the last disastrous week. She found that she was…well, sad. She was sad that she couldn't remember him, and she wanted to, so badly. She missed him. She missed his infuriating pride and aloofness, and his irritating sarcasm. She wished she could remember certain conversations they'd had. But she only remembered the night before he disappeared, he had touched her cheek and told her everything was going to be all right. She had really felt something that night. It was an inkling of some emotion that Rei had never experienced before, but then, the next morning, he had been gone, and it was terrible.

Slowly, ever so slowly, everything had been ripped away from her. _Is this my destiny? Am I destined to die? Alone, in this pathetic cell, wasting away, waiting for death? I want to live. I want, so much, to live._ Rei was quite sure that this would not be a very humane prison, and she doubted anyone would show up at the door to deliver food or even tell her what was going to happen to her. She would be left here, maybe forgotten to die of starvation, or maybe, someone would come and kill her personally. At that moment, she wished nothing more to find Sesshoumaru and cry to him, even if he would just stare back stonily and ask her what the fuck was wrong with her. No, she wasn't noble enough to wish for anything better, like ending world hunger or something of the like. _I'm so selfish, and I feel like such a terrible person. When people are about to die, they're supposed to feel generous and good and giving, and I feel none of that. I just want to live. I just want to get out of here. How horrible is that? What kind of heroine in a story wants that?_ But Rei did not feel very much like a heroine. Her adventure did not feel very much like a story, or at least, a story where good triumphs over evil. Because currently, evil was winning at least a billion points to one, unless Anako was right, and evil really wasn't evil at all.

Rei laid her head down and tried to sleep. _Maybe I'll just fall asleep and go peacefully. What a way to die._

"Rei."

Rei jerked her head up. "Who said that?" she said aloud, looking around and seeing nobody.

"Oh Rei, do not be tiresome, do not tell me you have forgotten who I am already."

_What? Who is this guy?_ "Who are you? Where are you?" she shouted.

"Quiet! You are attracting unwanted attention with your noise," the voice sliced back.

_Right. Stupid of me to be so loud._ "Who are you again?" she asked sheepishly. Ashamed, she couldn't tell who was speaking, even though the speaker apparently knew who she was. But how? And where was the voice coming from?

There was a very pregnant pause. "Have you truly forgotten, or are you just being stupidly human?"

_Oh my God. No. Not really. I'm hallucinating. I'm hearing things. I'm going insane. Sesshoumaru is talking to me inside my head!_ "I'm going insane!" she blurted out involuntarily.

"How unfortunate," the voice cut back dryly. "What an utterly inopportune time for you to lose your mental capability."

"No! I can't really be talking to you, right? You…you…you're just in my head," she convinced herself promptly.

"No, really, I assure you that I am quite real. And if you will stop playing your wasteful game of pretend, then we might concentrate on the present problem of getting out."

Rei's head hurt, spinning with confusion, but wrapped around one tiny bit of wonderful knowledge. "It's really you," she whispered in wonder. "It's really you." No one else could be so crude and cold and perfectly _normal_ at a time like this. _I can't believe it._

The voice, Sesshoumaru's voice, responded coolly, "Of course it is I. Who else could it be?"

Rei giggled. "Naraku. It could be Naraku."

"It could be," Sesshoumaru stipulated, his voice slightly muffled, "but happily it is not. And I somehow am doubtful that Naraku would feel so inclined to imprison himself in such an enclosure."

"So you're locked up too?" she asked, her heart sinking slightly. She had hoped that he was somehow free and had come to rescue her and Rin. Of course, that would have been slightly ironic, since it was they who had come to rescue him. And Rei felt sure that if he had come to save them, his ego would have inflated to the point of breaking through the ceiling, and he would never have ceased to rub it in.

"Well, yes, metaphorically speaking, I am locked up."

Rei raised a brow. "Metaphorically speaking? What is that supposed to mean?"

There was a heavy, impatient sigh. "Do you really think that I could have been locked up and not escaped? I am not a dunce, Rei."

"How are you so 'imprisoned' then?"

There was a minute's pause, and then, a very unwilling response. "Perhaps it would be more prudent to concentrate on the more important task at hand: the one of escaping this poor, pitiful excuse for a castle. Do you agree?"

Obviously, he was trying to avoid something, and Rei immediately guessed that his pride had been injured in some way, and he was trying to prevent her from knowing his shame. But she shook herself out of that curious thought and remembered that whatever the case, Sesshoumaru was right. They had to get out. "Got any ideas?" she injected. "Because I have none. This looks like a pretty solid stone wall to me. And it's surrounded by some weird glowing barrier. I'm scared to touch it. It looks like it might burn my skin off or something."

"No need to fret. It will not harm you; only me," he said wryly.

"What do you mean?" Rei asked warily.

"It is a purity barrier. Purity barriers only harm demons. Therefore, I cannot go through to your side. It is a surprisingly strong one, however ironic it is that it was created by a black miko, one of the least pure beings in the world. Yet, somehow, this particular black miko was capable of creating such a barrier. At any rate, I cannot go through. And you cannot break through the stone wall," he said very calmly, as if not sentencing the two of them complacently to hopelessness.

Rei slumped. "So what you're saying is we're stuck here no matter what."

"No. I am simply saying that Naraku actually was being genuinely clever this time. However, that does not mean we cannot escape. Simply that you shall have to find some way to bore a hole into the wall."

"Me?" Rei asked incredulously. "Me? How? I don't have anything on me, and I definitely can't do it with brute force."

"Well be creative and hurry it up," he said irritably. "Every second you waste, is one more second that Rin is in Naraku's grasp."

"What? How did you know that Rin wasn't in here with me?" she gasped in surprise.

There was a disdainful sniff. "I have a nose."

Rei suddenly resisted the impulse to laugh. She clapped her hands together cheerfully. "All right then. Let's get to work."

She crept cautiously up to the strangely glowing wall, and reached a hesitating hand up to touch it, fully expecting her fingers to get viciously scalded off. Instead, to her surprise, the barrier of light felt warm, like sunshine. It made her feel calmer. She touched the smooth stones that made up the wall. She realized that they were held together by dirt. Soft dirt, that was easily removable. She began to pick at the dirt between the stones. Her fingers found it hard to fit between the tiny spaces, but the dirt came out easily enough.

"Hey!" she called out hopefully. "It looks like I can probably take a few stones out of this wall without doing much damage. I'll be able to get through!"

There was no response.

"Are you alive over there?" she asked.

"May I ignore you for four seconds without you whining like a lost puppy?" came his biting response.

"Yeesh, I thought you'd be glad I found us a way out," Rei said, taken aback by his rudeness.

"You did not find us a way out, per se. You found yourself a way to me, in hopes that I would find us a way out," he said smartly.

Rei half screamed in frustration. "Fine! You see if I care if you're stuck there for the rest of your pitiful life. I hate you for being such a big fat thundercloud." Contrary to what she said, she ferociously scratched dirt from between the stones.

"The feeling is mutual, human. I strongly dislike you for being such a broken record that will never shut up. And please do not try to promise things that you will not fulfill. You and I know perfectly well that no matter how much you threaten, you will still end up crawling back to me."

Rei stood up and kicked the wall, which really succeeded in doing nothing except injuring her big toe. _I'm not talking until I get through. And then when I do, the first thing I'm going to do is kick him hard in you-know-where before letting him go. It'll serve him right. Learn some manners, you big jerk._

But silent minutes quickly melted into hours, as the job proved harder than Rei had originally thought. Two hours later, she was lying on the ground in a tired heap, her fingertips red and raw from digging, and only a hole big enough to fit her arm through to show for it. She had only removed two stones so far.

She couldn't see through to the other side. The other side was blocked by another barrier, and all she could see was a glowing wall of pink. But she found that, just like the barrier on her side, she could go through it easily. It was only a matter of making a big enough hole in the stone wall.

"I can't do this, Sesshoumaru," she moaned from the ground, finally breaking the silence. "My fingers are going to fall off."

There was a slight pause from his side, then a sigh. "Oh, I lost."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, sitting up.

"I had made a bet to myself that you would be able to finally carry out one of your threats and actually make it through to me without talking. But no. I still underestimate your tendency to babble."

"Oh shut up!" Rei shrieked suddenly. "All right! I get the point. I'll get through. And you wait. When I do, I will punch you so hard in the face that you'll wish that I hadn't gotten through. I'll get through if I have to personally amputate my fingers to do it."

"Amputate your voice box while you're at it," he said dryly. "Any amount of facial pain I receive will be irrelevant if I am granted that one gift."

xXx

Four hours and twenty-one minutes later, Rei had removed enough stones to fit her whole body through, but her fingers were blistering, and she was close to sobbing from the effort.

"Sesshoumaru…I…made…a…hole," she gasped.

"I see it, and I am very impressed," he said crisply.

"I'm…coming…through."

"I will be here waiting when you do. Catch your breath first."

So Rei, too tired to argue, sat there and caught her breath, and accidentally fell asleep. When she woke up, she remembered with a jolt that she had not gone through yet.

Jumping up, she trumpeted, "I'm so sorry! I forgot, I fell asleep, WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP, YOU JERK?" She squeezed through the whole frantically, diving into the wall of pink and reemerging on the other side panting.

When she saw him, her scolding insult caught in her throat.

He was lying on the ground, motionless, and there were several arrows that were pierced through him. There were two through his chest, and another on his arm. His eyes were closed. In that one breathless moment, the kind of moment someone feels when she walks up the stairs with her eyes closed, only to realize that the top stair isn't there; that one moment of terror, she realized that he was dead.

"Oh no," she whispered. "Oh no, please, no. Naraku killed him when I was sleeping, when he saw that there was a hole in the wall. Oh please no. I'm so sorry…"

Tears leapt to her eyes and an overwhelming sense of guilt washed over her. She scrambled to his side and began ripping the arrows out, wincing as each one gave. "Sesshoumaru, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have fallen asleep! I should have come through the minute I finished!" Her face was a mess of mucus and tears now, and she threw the arrows against the wall in fury. "Stupid, stupid me!" She buried her face in his chest and cried.

There was a stirring movement below her. Startled, she jumped up. Sesshoumaru's eyes were open. He sat him and brushed himself off. "Why are you crying?" he asked obliviously.

A huge lump rose in Rei's throat, and she found that she couldn't say anything. Her heart was rising, and her mind was confused…what was going on? She didn't care. She threw her arms around him and almost knocked him over. She couldn't even say anything. She just squeezed him tight and hid her face in his shoulder.

He was stiff and surprised. Rei didn't even care if he hugged her back, she was just relieved to know that he was alive, and she hadn't killed him, and he was alive. But to her amazement, his arm went around her slowly and held her equally tight. His cheek brushed hers. She felt…happy. In that cold, dingy dungeon, her fingers painful and blistering, her stomach growling, she was glad. She felt warm and content. And she even smiled a little through her tears when she remembered that he only had one arm to hug her with.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"You WHAT?"

Sesshoumaru stood with Tokijin drawn, a look of severe impatience on his face. Rei stood a few feet away, her hands on her hips, breathing with an intensity that was slightly alarming.

"So you mean to tell me, that you just decided to 'leave' with Kagura that day? You couldn't have said anything? You couldn't have, oh maybe, _told us_ before you decided to elope?"

Sesshoumaru sighed. "I thought it was obvious," he said insolently.

"Well, it wasn't! Kagura fed us some cock-and-bull story about how she had managed to kidnap you and take you to Naraku's castle, leaving Rin and me in a rather urgent state of panic regarding if you were all right. But now, it's nice to know that you obviously have no sense of responsibility regarding anything. I can't believe you. I thought we meant more to you than that," Rei said angrily.

"I had no idea you would lose your head and believe her. I believed, rather wrongly as I see now, that you would be able to _stay put _until my business here was done."

"Ha! If we hadn't come, you'd be stuck in this cell forever, you do realize that? You should be grateful that we lost our heads and decided to come after you. Why can't you ever admit that you need help? You know what you have? You have a ridiculous ego problem!"

"I could have escaped on my own. Naraku could not have killed me. And no, I do not need your help. You only ever get in the way. Now will you please shut your mouth? Otherwise, I will leave you here. Right now, getting Rin away from Naraku happens to be more important than arguing with you. Now please, _shut up_."

Everything that Sesshoumaru was saying completely shot by Rei, and she opened her mouth to yell again. Before she could get a word out of her mouth, however, Sesshoumaru sheathed his sword, stepped up to her, and grabbed her by the waist.

xXx

Sesshoumaru blasted out of the cell with a good solid kick, and then looked down with displeasure at the kicking and screaming girl tucked under his arm. With a distinct roll of the eyes, he tightened his grip and decided to ignore her and pretend that it was completely normal to be clutching a girl under one's arm.

_Arrogant, heartless, stupid, manhandling bastard! How dare he!_ "Let me go! Let me go! I hate you! You're the worst, most selfish person…demon…I've ever met in my life!" Rei shrieked, as if Sesshoumaru was attacking her, rather than saving her.

Sesshoumaru had never wished more fervently for his left hand at that point in his life, so he could clap it over Rei's mouth and be done with it. He was thinking rather seriously about simply melting her voice box. Trying desperately to block out her noise, he lifted his nose and sniffed.

"Odd," he said aloud, "I seem to be unable to pick up Rin's scent. Where has Naraku taken her?"

Rei had finally worn herself out. "I don't know," she said irritably.

"Is it safe to assume that I can finally put you down without more screaming or an attack on my person?" Sesshoumaru said.

Rei thought for a second. She was rather sick of being held horizontally. "Yes," she said shortly.

Sesshoumaru set her down gently on the ground. Rei turned on her foot and promptly slapped him in the face.

He seemed completely unfazed. "You said you were not going to attack me," he said calmly.

"Yeah? Well, I lied. And you deserved that."

"I did not. And if I were any other demon, I would have sliced your hand off had it come in any sort of proximity to my face."

"You did too deserve that. And if I were any other human girl, I would have kicked you in the balls the minute you set me down, instead of slapping you in the face. Consider it a gift."

They glared at each other in silence. Rei was the first to speak. "I'm going to be the more mature one about this and suggest that we go looking for Naraku and demand him to release Rin now, instead of playing the staring game."

Sesshoumaru nodded curtly, but couldn't help adding, "Yes, screaming one's lung out certainly seems mature to me as well."

"Ooooo, you wait, after this ordeal is over…you wait."

"I am terrified," he said sarcastically.

It took all of Rei's self-control to not retort. _Okay, breathe. You know he's probably the most immature two thousand year old there ever was. You shouldn't let him get to you. Plus, Rin needs you right now, and Sesshoumaru's obviously willing to sit here and have a tea party before even lifting a finger._ "Can we just get going now?" _…Jerk._

"As you wish. But I am having difficulty locating Rin right now."

"You're a daiyoukai. Figure something out."

Sesshoumaru paused for a moment, looking lost in deep thought, before declaring very loudly, "Naraku! Naraku, come out, right now. I demand you come out and face me, you cowardly piece of scum!"

Rei stared incredulously. _This is the best you've got? _"Are you serious? You think he's just going to—"

Before she could even finish her sentence, a purple, putrid whirlwind began to swirl before her eyes. The wind was strong, and Rei found herself stepping behind Sesshoumaru so she could avoid its stinging rage.

When Rei peeked over Sesshoumaru's shoulder, Naraku had emerged in his full, demonic glory, a cruel smile curved on his face. Rei shivered. His eyes skirted over her. "Ah, how clever, little human. Escaped, have you? And you've rescued your precious protector as well. I find it laughable that both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru have such an inclination for human companions. I suppose brothers are brothers, after all," Naraku said.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Shut your mouth before I go over there and shut it for you. I lack the patience to hear your customary gloating speech."

Naraku smirked. "I wasn't going to waste my time giving one."

Sesshoumaru unsheathed Tokijin. Rei stepped out and cleared her throat nervously. "Where did you take Rin?"

Naraku laughed nastily. "The girl gets right to the point then. Sheathe your sword, Sesshoumaru. There isn't anything to defend anymore."

Sesshoumaru glared. "What do you mean?"

The demon just laughed again, the sound sending chills up Rei's spine. "I took care of your precious pet. She's gone. Should've known better than to leave two humans together, eh, Sesshoumaru?"

Rei stared blankly. "What?"

"She's _dead_. I killed her. Destroyed the body too, no point in looking for it, darling. I know you tried your best. But it'll be all right. I'm sure that Sesshoumaru will kill you quickly for your failure, so you won't suffer. He always liked you too."

Rei dropped on her knees, her eyes not seeing anything. _What? Dead? Not Rin. Not her! She was so happy, and so _alive _just days ago. She was the one who got me through all of this. _A sudden rush of hot tears came to her eyes. Vaguely, she heard Sesshoumaru say in the background, "You lie." And then they began to fight. She heard the horrible clashing noises of metal on metal, and she heard Naraku's grating, taunting laugh, and she heard Sesshoumaru's howl of fury. But she was frozen. _It's not supposed to happen like this. It's all my fault! If only I hadn't come looking for Sesshoumaru, Rin would be alive. She would be…alive. Tell me this is a nightmare. Rin never hurt anyone, why her?_

And suddenly, she felt Sesshoumaru grab her around her waist, and her stomach dropped through as he jumped, jumped through the ceiling with a splintering crash and they were in the blue, blue sky, and then, and then…

xXx

Rei found herself crying hard, as Sesshoumaru flew through the air. Her toes and fingers tingled with coldness and numbness, but she kept crying anyway. And Sesshoumaru was silent. He did not tell her to stop. He did not say anything to her. Deep inside, Rei wanted desperately for him to wipe her tears and hold her, so maybe some of the pain and guilt would go away, but she knew he would never do that. Hazily, she wondered if he was contemplating putting her down somewhere and killing her, but right now, she couldn't think about it. She deserved it anyway.

It seemed like hours before they stopped. Rei wept the entire way, and her eyes felt dry and sore, as if someone had poured sand into them. But somehow, the tears kept coming, despite that.

They were at Kaede's. The village was calm. Nothing had happened there. _How can it be so normal here? _Rei thought that there was hardly a more bizarre place that Sesshoumaru could go after finding out such disastrous news, but then she realized that perhaps he was about to dump her there. He probably never wanted to see her again.

Gently, almost too gently, Sesshoumaru set Rei down on the ground and walked toward the forest, without saying another word. Stunned, Rei watched his white back as he slowly got farther and farther away, before stumbling over to his side. She looked at his face, and it was impassive, completely calm. But his eyes were dark, cold holes, foreboding and dead. Rei recoiled to see them.

Sesshoumaru did not stop. He kept walking. Rei whispered, "What now?" her voice still hoarse from crying.

For a split second, it seemed as if Sesshoumaru had a mind to strike her, but he did not. He stopped and looked down at her, his face lacking even an ounce of emotion. "Now, I go. I will kill Naraku, and then…and then I will go on with my existence. As it was meant to be from the very beginning."

"And what about me?"

He paused and looked down at Rei. His eyes softened, almost imperceptibly. "You will go home. And live. Where you were meant to be from the very beginning."

Rei's felt her heart being pierced by a sharp dagger, but strangely, she did not protest. "So it's goodbye then?" she asked quietly.

There was a moment of intense silence. "It was never hello," he said finally. And just like that, he disappeared.

Rei couldn't imagine going back to Kaede and having to tell her the whole sordid story. Nor could she think about seeing Kagome and Inuyasha again. They would feel sorry for her, and sad for Rin, but they would blame it on Sesshoumaru, and really, it wasn't his fault. It was her own.

The only place she could think of was the well. _Home_, she thought tiredly. _Home that isn't really home anymore. It's not fair to everyone else that I can come here and ruin everything, and then go back to the future like nothing happened. It's not fair at all. But what can I do? Rin…I killed her. I destroyed everything back here. Should I stay and try to fix it? Or leave the unbroken things alone?_

The well was unaffected. It sat, in its solid presence, dusty and old, waiting for her to jump in. Rei wondered if it would work this time. _Perhaps it wasn't destiny that brought me here after all. It can't be. I came here, and Rin died. Was that destiny's plan? To kill off an innocent child?_ She looked stonily into the depths of the well, and it scared her. She was terrified of the darkness within, terrified of the normalcy of what would be on the other side.

And in years to come, the well would certainly be closed. Or she would never know. Rei knew that if she came through to the other side, she would not try again. She would not even go near the well house again. _Too many memories…_And she knew, that slowly, the memory of the smiling girl, who had meant so much to her, the solemn demon lord, whom she had learned to like and maybe even understand, would disappear. Rei would marry and have children, and she would be too busy with _life_ to remember the death and destruction she had left behind. She had begun to think of the odd little threesome as a family. A defunct mismatched family, but a family nonetheless. It was all gone now. They would be alone or dead, and Rei felt so guilty…so guilty…

Sesshoumaru would be crushed, she knew. He would never say it aloud; she knew Rin's name would not pass his lips again. But she could see, she could tell, that he was heartbroken, terribly heartbroken, and that was her fault too. There were few things that could penetrate his cold, uncaring façade, and the sunny little girl had been one of them. Now that she was gone, Rei feared that he would lose his compassion (however faint it was) and lose his sense of decency (however faint that was). She feared that he would lose everything that made him different. He was a demon, but he wasn't the bloodthirsty kind. She knew him better than that. She wished everyone else knew him better too. It wasn't fair that Inuyasha got all of the attention and was the "good guy." What was good about him, except that he had human blood? Without that, he may as well been a coldhearted demon like the rest of them. But Sesshoumaru managed to stay honorable and decent, even without the human blood aspect. For that, Rei felt he was something…special.

But he certainly didn't think that of her. _It was never hello_. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps, it would have been better had they never met, never crossed paths. Rin would be alive. If only…

But there wasn't time to think of that now. Rei's stomach lurched as she stared into the well. The darkness was almost welcoming, a promise of the things that would be better in the future. _I am running away from mistakes_, she thought gently to herself, _and that is never the right thing to do. But there is so much that I've done wrong that…what is the right thing to do now?_ She just wanted to close her eyes, and forget everything. Forget about this monstrous nightmare she'd been having for the past few weeks. _Everything will be better in the future._

She leaned dangerously close to the edge…tipped…and went reeling into the well. There was a brief moment of hope _everything will be better now…I'm going home_ and then she hit rock bottom.

It was the jolt that sent her crying. The well hadn't opened. It simply didn't want her to return. Hot, salty tears coursed down her cheeks, and she cried again for the umpteenth time that day. Nobody had died in her family in her living memory. It was…foreign…this wound that erupted constantly in her heart every time she remembered Rin. It was…unexpected. She didn't know someone could cry so much. Her mind was stuck, like a broken record _it's not fair_.

The past wasn't fair, wasn't fair at all. Kagome, her grandmother, had never had anyone near her _die_ so horribly. Everything tidied up neat and well for her after every adventure. But here was Rei, and she had botched everything, sent a girl to her death. Rin should never have died. If anyone…it should have been Rei. Rin never did anyone wrong, would've forgiven Naraku if he'd said sorry, would've smiled at anyone, good or bad. Would've touched anyone's heart.

Rei curled up into a ball in a corner of the well and looked at the bright blue afternoon sky. She was lost.

xXx

Hours later, Rei sat in the same position, horribly cramped, her aching head cradled in her arms. She never wanted to come out again, and she was sure that no one would ever come looking for her. What did it matter anyway? The world had already come crashing down; she might as well sit here and wait for it to fall on her head.

But abruptly, someone picked her up like a ball and with a _whoosh_ whisked her out of the well. She stumbled to the ground and looked up. It was the last person she expected to see in the world.

It was Sesshoumaru. She stared, her hair disheveled and her cheeks stained with tears. "What are you doing here?"

"You don't seem to be having much success with returning."

She coughed a dry laugh. "No. Are you going to help me?"

"I do not know how."

She looked into the distance, the pinkish orange lit sky. "What then?"

He did not meet her eyes. "I do not know."

"What will happen to me?"

He said nothing for a few moments. "Why does something have to happen to you?"

Rei had never thought of it that way before. She didn't know what to say. "So why did you come back?"

He gave a quiet laugh, but somehow, he wasn't really amused. "I do not know."

Rei thought of Rin and the wound freshened a pang in her heart. She wondered if he was lonely without her. "I'm so sorry."

She didn't specify what she was apologizing for, but she knew that he was thinking of the same thing. He didn't look at her as he said, "She was going to die one day."

And it was true. It sounded cold, but Rei could hear the hurt behind his voice that said clearly, _but I wish it wasn't so soon._

His voice was distant, "Humans die…quickly."

And all of a sudden, Rei remembered that Sesshoumaru wasn't like her…wasn't like Rin. They would die, but he would go on, until the day that he stood alone, at the end of the world.

"One day, you will be dead too," he said.

"Yes," she said faintly. It was true. Staying here every day, increased her chances of dying. She simply wasn't cut out to live here, no matter what Sesshoumaru had done to prepare her, no matter how many demons she killed, there would always be another one waiting around the next corner.

"So," he said hesitantly, "I thought that perhaps I would keep you safe, for a little while at least, until the well took you back." He paused. "Rin would have wanted it," he said quietly.

Rei laughed a little that sounded more like sobbing. "I will die one day. And it will be all the same to you. Just a small glitch in your long life."

He shifted his burning golden gaze to her. "One day does not have to be today." He smiled, a small smile, but a very real one. "I could have killed Naraku at that moment. I could have, had I stayed and tried harder."

Rei's voice was almost inaudible. "Then why didn't you?"

"Because."

And Rei knew that he was too afraid, too proud to say that he did not want to leave another girl to die. He had tasted the bitterness of death, and he did not want to suffer it again. He had wanted to leave her behind, so he would not have to see her die, ever. But perhaps it was too much pain, to know that she was dying, and he wasn't lifting a finger to save her. Perhaps it was too much pain, to pretend like he did not know her, because…perhaps it was too much pain to know that he did.

Then, gently, very gently, she took his hand in hers and said, "I won't die today."

"Good," he said. "Good."

A/N: I'm awfully, awfully sorry for everything. For waiting forever to finish this chapter (which isn't terribly long, so not a good payoff for such a long wait). Awfully sorry for dropping such a bombshell too. Just forgive me for existing. I hope you all don't hate me terribly much. I love you all. :-D


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Rei sat down and blew out in frustration. "Please? This is the only way you can defeat Naraku. I know that you're stubborn, and I know that you would rather stab yourself in the foot than cooperate. And to tell you the truth, I'm not too keen on the idea either. But don't you want to win? Sesshoumaru! Please!"

"No. What a ridiculous notion. I can defeat Naraku myself."

"No you can't! That's the point, don't you see? Haven't you been trying to do just that all these years without success? Have you even seriously thought about this? The two of you together could finally finish him off! Don't be stubborn. Really. This is for the good of the world we're talking about here," Rei argued. "Listen to me just this once. You don't even have to talk to him. I'll do it."

Sesshoumaru turned away. "I would rather cut off my other arm than ask Inuyasha to help me."

"You don't have to ask. I'll ask for you. Come on. You're wasting time. We can go to Kaede's, convince Inuyasha to help, defeat Naraku, and then you can go off on your merry way, and I'll go home and you won't ever have to see me again. No more humans to bother you. It's a win-win situation."

"I—" he started, before Rei interrupted and grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the direction of Kaede's village. He didn't budge.

She looked back at him and saw a flicker of amusement on the corners of his lips. "You don't think you can drag me along as if I am some menial package, do you?" He sniffed. "And plus, Inuyasha and his silly group of followers are not in the village at the moment. They are quite far away."

Rei let go. "What must I say to convince you to cooperate?" She could almost hear him thinking, weighing the benefits of having Inuyasha with them against the shame and annoyance of asking a half-blood for help.

"If we go," he said finally, "you do as you promised."

"What?"

"You will talk to them. I don't want to associate with that filth," he said firmly. "I can barely stand to hear his whining voice."

Rei sighed in relief. "You're not the only one, I promise you. There are few people that get on my nerves more than you do, and he's one of them. I won't ever understand what Kagome sees in him."

Sesshoumaru laughed in surprise. "Well, there's one thing we agree on."

xXx

"Now, hold on tight."

Rei dug her heels into the ground. "Can't we just walk? Don't we usually just walk?"

"It's faster if we fly, and seeing as you _can't_, then I shall have to carry you. Trust me, being a pack mule for you is not high on my list of priorities, but if we have to do this, I would rather we do it as quickly as possible," he said dryly.

"Oh, all right, fine," Rei conceded. "But don't drop me. And don't fly me so high that I can't breathe. Humans need oxygen."

"What is oxygen?"

"Never mind. But seriously, be careful," she said timidly. "I don't like heights."

He looked at her inquisitively. "You seemed to be doing fine when I carried you back from Naraku's castle."

Rei protested, "I wasn't _fine_, I was crying, first of all, and I was a little too distressed to notice how high we were." Her throat tightened at the memory. _Rin…_

"I see. Perhaps if you pretend like you are distressed, we should do just as well," he said lightly, trying to distract her from the past.

"Stop it," she said as she slapped his shoulder playfully. "So how are we going to go about this anyway?"

Sesshoumaru looked at her. "You could ride on my back. It might be more comfortable than being carried under my arm."

"You mean like a piggyback ride—only in the sky?" she asked brightly.

He frowned. "I am no pig."

"I didn't mean that, I meant—never mind," she said in exasperation. _…Demons._

Sesshoumaru knelt down, something Rei had never before seen him do. "Well?" he said irritably, obviously miffed at having to give a lowly human something as demeaning as…a piggyback ride.

Hesitantly, Rei put her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. Sesshoumaru gently snaked his hands around her thighs securely and stood up. Rei's heart started beating hard. _I must be afraid of flying…yes. That's what it is_, she thought, willfully steering her thoughts away from other reasons.

"Wait!" she hissed. "Do we really have to fly?"

She could imagine him rolling his eyes as he replied, "Yes. Just close your eyes if you are frightened. And don't let go."

She laughed crazily. "Oh don't worry, I won't let go—AHHHHH!" Sesshoumaru leapt into the air mid-sentence, and Rei could feel her stomach drop down to her butt. In one horrifying moment, she thought she was going to be sick and retch all over Sesshoumaru's flawless silver hair, but almost as if he could read her mind, he suddenly shouted over the wind, "Don't you dare vomit on me, or I will certainly drop you."

_Don't drop me!_ And magically, the nausea went away, replaced by ice-cold fear. She looked down, which was a mistake, and saw the landscape drop away dizzily into blurs of greens, blues, and yellows. Terrified, she buried her face into Sesshoumaru's shoulder and tightened her arms around his neck.

"Careful. No need to strangle me, else I might faint, and we'll both fall into oblivion," she heard him say sarcastically.

"You're not helping!" she yelled back, muffled, as her face was still pressed tight against him.

"Fine. Don't look. Suit yourself, Rei, you might find that it really is not as awful as it seems. It is terribly ironic that you are frightened of being in the sky, when you are riding on the back of a thousand-year-old daiyoukai."

Rei had to chuckle at that, however scared she was. Presently, she lifted her head and looked around. She had to admit grudgingly that it really _was_ beautiful. The air was crisp and refreshing. The ground below was divided into pretty patchworks of color. She felt _alive_ flying through the sky. She missed Rin and thought of how much fun the little girl would have had.

"Why are you so quiet?" Sesshoumaru cut into her thoughts. "Usually by this point I would have been begging you to shut up."

"I miss Rin," she said as softly as she could, over the whistle of the air rushing by.

Sesshoumaru was silent.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up again," Rei said quickly.

"We're here," he said abruptly. He descended smoothly.

Everything expanded back into normal, and Rei squeezed her eyes shut in preparation for a crash landing. But Sesshoumaru knew what he was doing. He landed without so much as a bump and gently put Rei back onto solid ground.

"They are close. I can smell them," he said.

He began to walk into a huddle of trees, and Rei quickly hurried after him, relieved that she was on her own two feet again. Within minutes, she could hear people talking.

Sesshoumaru barked a quiet laugh. "Stupid Inuyasha. I could have heard them from a mile away. They attract attention like dead meat attracts flies."

The talking soon increased, and it became obvious that the group was bickering about something. She could pick out Kagome's high annoyed voice, Inuyasha's angry scratchy yelling, and Sango's gentle pleading in the background. She fought the urge to start laughing. "They argue just like us."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and shot a golden glance at her. "We don't argue about senseless things like they do," he asserted.

"Really now? Are you saying we never argue about stupid things?" Rei said with a smile.

"Only when you get on my nerves."

"Hey, excuse me! Let's not forget all the times you get on _my_ nerves. Maybe you just have an impossibly short temper."

"And perhaps you just have a terrible capacity to annoy."

She punched him in the shoulder.

"And there you go again," he said. "Annoying me."

"Ha! And you said we never argued about stupid things."

Suddenly, Inuyasha jumped out of the trees and shouted, "Sesshoumaru! Don't you dare try to sneak up on us! Wind scar!"

With horror, Rei saw a spiraling wind pick up and head directly toward Sesshoumaru and herself. She could hear Kagome screaming frantically in the background, "Inuyasha, Rei is with him! Stop!" But it was too late.

But before the cyclone could hit her, Sesshoumaru picked her up with his one arm and whisked her out of harm's way.

Kagome rushed onto the scene and breathed a sigh of relief. "Sit, Inuyasha!" she uttered, and he immediately crashed to the ground.

"What the heck was that for?" he said angrily, sitting up.

"You idiot! You almost killed Rei!" she yelled back.

Inuyasha rubbed his head. "I didn't see her. It was an accident. Honest. Sorry, Rei."

Rei's heart was thumping out of control. _This is entirely unhealthy. First flying through the sky (I mean, an airplane is one thing, but on the back of a dangerous daiyoukai is another matter entirely) and now almost getting killed by Inuyasha…really, if I don't get killed sooner or later, I'll succumb to some sort of heart failure._

"Sorry does not cut it," Sesshoumaru said tartly. "You almost blasted her into oblivion. I don't think an apology can remedy that."

Rei noticed that he was still holding her. Sesshoumaru looked down at her, looking surprised, as if he did not expect her to still be cradled in his arm. Then he hastily modified his expression. "Are you alright? Because if you are hurt, I will gladly break Inuyasha's skull for you."

She gave a weak laugh. "No harm done. But I might have to take you up on that offer anyway." She shot a furious glare in Inuyasha's direction.

Sesshoumaru set her down on the ground. "I told you we shouldn't have come."

"We're not leaving, if that's what you're suggesting."

He looked disdainfully at Inuyasha's group. "Fine. But they're all yours. You keep your promise." He stood there and stared at her expectantly. "Go on."

Kagome put on a strained smile. "I'm really sorry about that, Rei."

Rei straightened her clothes, as if being near Inuyasha mussed them up somehow. "Well, before we were rudely attacked, I came to ask a favor of you all." She looked meaningfully around at them.

Inuyasha chuckled. "Sesshoumaru is asking a favor from us? It must be insulting him to his very core."

Sesshoumaru glared daggers at him. "Oh, I assure you, it is. Don't try my patience, or I won't hesitate to kill you."

Rei looked back at him pleadingly. "Stop it, you two. This isn't going to happen if you keep behaving like this." She turned her attention back to Kagome, Sango, and Miroku, who were waiting. "Since we've all been fighting Naraku for so long. I guess not me, personally, but the rest of you…I figured we might…" she fidgeted a little before blurting out, "work together to defeat him." _There, I said it._ She looked at them nervously, seeing if they were considering her plan.

They all looked dumbstruck and incredulous, especially Inuyasha, who was eying Sesshoumaru with something akin to total disbelief that he was actually still standing there.

"…Kagome," said Shippou decidedly, "I think this girl from your world is a little bit crazy in the head."

"I'm serious here!" Rei said, insulted. "Have you ever even thought about it? I mean, it could work. You are both really strong," she nodded toward Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. "And I know siblings fight and stuff, but couldn't you guys get along for just a little bit?"

"That's not up to me," Inuyasha replied. "Sesshoumaru is the one that starts everything."

Sesshoumaru sniffed. "Really. I seem to remember you rushing at us in a haphazard fashion and attacking us, foolishly thinking you could do some harm. We hardly even responded."

"Stop arguing!" Rei said heatedly.

Miroku scratched his head thoughtfully. "An interesting idea, young miss, but certainly questionable. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha have never gotten along before, and it is not something you can realistically expect from them."

"But I think defeating Naraku is worth cooperating, don't you think?" Sango suggested.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "What do you say? How about just this once?"

"Keh. If he agrees," he said, motioning toward Sesshoumaru.

Triumphantly, Rei walked up to Sesshoumaru and tugged on his sleeve. "See? I told you it would all work out." She grinned.

"Just this once," he said warningly.

xXx

There was a wonderful hot spring in the area. It was getting dark, and everyone insisted on stopping for the night, much to the chagrin of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, who would have greatly preferred to keep going.

"Some of us need sleep, you know," Kagome said matter-of-factly. "Why don't you two and Miroku set up camp? Sango and Rei and I are going to the hot springs for a soak. And I'm warning you," she said, shaking a finger at them, "don't try to follow us."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Miroku is the only peeping tom you need to worry about."

It was deliciously cool, crisp night, and Rei found it delightful to finally unwind and relax. She found she liked being with Sango and Kagome, who reminded her of her friends at home, gossiping and giggling like schoolgirls.

Rei looked around apprehensively to make sure no one was around except the three of them. "Don't worry," Sango said, "it's just us," and she easily slipped off her clothes and waded into the spring. "C'mon. It's heavenly in here."

Slowly, Rei took off her clothes and folded them carefully before sinking into the spring. She felt the water rolling over her skin like a little massage. "Ahhh," she sighed in contentment. "I should do this more often."

"Here." Kagome tossed her a bottle of shampoo and conditioner. "I don't go anywhere in the Feudal Era without them. Otherwise my hair would be a mess." She grinned.

They lathered their hair together and washed away the suds in the hot water. Rei listened quietly as Kagome and Sango talked about their travels and things she was not apart of. _Grandma…_she thought. _She looks so happy to be here. Like she has no worries being with Inuyasha. I wish I could do something to keep her like this forever._ Her mind turned to her weary old grandmother in the modern age, sitting under the Goshinboku, looking up at a figure that wasn't there. _What a terrible fate. But if it hadn't happened, she would have never married Grandpa, and I would never be here today. Still, the world is too cruel._

"Why so serious, Rei?" Kagome interrupted her thoughts. "I swear, being with Sesshoumaru must have rubbed off on you." She laughed good-naturedly. "How's Rin? I see that she's not with you this time."

Rei's throat immediately constricted, and for a split-second, she hated Kagome fiercely for bringing it up. "She…she…Naraku killed her," she finally managed to whisper, her lips dry.

"What?" Sango and Kagome said together in shock. "She's dead? What happened?"

"I don't know. We found Naraku's castle in Tsubaki's shrine, but he caught us and he took Rin away." Rei tried to swallow away the lump in her throat. "By the time I found Sesshoumaru, it was too late. She was gone." _Don't cry, don't you dare start crying._ "Please don't mention it when we are together," she begged. "Sesshoumaru is taking it very hard. He hasn't talked about it since. I don't know what to do. It's my fault."

Slowly, Kagome put her arm around Rei's shoulder, and Sango stroked her hair. "It's okay, it'll be okay," they kept saying.

Kagome gritted her teeth and said, "It's just another reason to kill Naraku."

Rei nodded. _We must kill him. I know we can. With our forces combined, he won't stand a chance. We'll make him pay._

They sat silently for a long while before Kagome spoke up again, breaking away from the subject.

"And Sesshoumaru? Rei, you know, you've really changed him. He's much different now. Warmer, less easily provoked. Without you, he and Inuyasha would have never agreed to work together. It's a good thing you've been with him." Kagome smiled.

Rei looked at her. "You think so?"

"Of course I do! Did you see how he protected you from Inuyasha's attack?" Kagome giggled. "I thought it was cute. He definitely has a crush on you."

Rei turned a deep shade of red. "Don't be ridiculous. He would have done that for anyone. He's not as mean as he makes himself out to be."

She saw Kagome's eyes flicker in a mixture of humor and disbelief, and Sango raise her hand to her mouth, trying to hide the twitch of a smile. "Don't forget, he's tried to kill us before. I would hardly say that was a ruse," Kagome said.

"Yeah? Well, Inuyasha isn't missing a left arm because of Sesshoumaru, now is he?" she was quick to defend, crossing her arms in defiance. She was still angry on Sesshoumaru's behalf for that. _Stupid Inuyasha. I would cut off his arm and see how he feels about that._

Sango was the more sober of the two, and even she rolled over laughing. Kagome was cracking apart at the sides.

"Hey! What's so funny?" Rei asked loudly, feeling entirely excluded from the joke that apparently Sango and Kagome shared.

Kagome was struggling to take in a breath, and Sango had tears running down her face. "You…so…have…a…crush…on…him," Kagome managed to sputter out between peals of laughter. "Imagine…having a crush…on someone like…Sesshoumaru!" she said as an aside to Sango, who bubbled into renewed laughter.

"I do not!" Rei said, trying to keep her face from catching fire from the spreading blush. "You guys are jerks! And you're one to talk, Kagome. It's so obvious that you're mooning over Inuyasha all the time."

Rei had meant it as an insult, but Kagome looked back at her with only amusement in her eyes. "Yes. But I admit it, and you don't."

"You're wrong," Rei said quietly. _This isn't funny. This isn't a teenage sleepover, Kagome. You think it's funny. You think the world will turn out sunshine and rainbows all the time, and everything's a happily ever after. You think that love always works out, and one day, you and Inuyasha will live together forever in peace. You think that Sesshoumaru and I…you're wrong. I don't love him. He doesn't love me. And in the end, we'll both go back our separate ways, and I'll die and he'll live and the world will go on…you just don't know._

"I don't love him," she said aloud to confirm her thoughts. "How could a human like me ever love a demon?" She felt strangely empty after she had said it, as if she had created a gulf between Sesshoumaru and her, and it was too late to bring it together again. As if she had betrayed their friendship, and everything that had happened between them. _But why should I feel guilty?_ she told herself gently. _It's the truth._

Rei looked around disconsolately and got out of the spring. She dried herself off and put on her clothes. Kagome and Sango, oddly hushed, followed suit. Rei turned back on them with a fakely bright smile and said, "Let's go back, shall we? You don't think the boys will have made too much of a mess of the campsite without us?"

Sango smiled back cautiously and replied, "No, but hopefully, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru haven't killed each other yet."

They walked back together, and things seemed to go back to normal. Rei tried to keep the darkness in her heart at bay, tried to concentrate on the task at hand. _We can kill Naraku quickly, and then I will go back home and forget about everything that's happened here. It's for the best._ The leaves rustled with a soft wind, peaceful, like the world was at rights, even if Rei was not.

Miroku was tending the fire, and Inuyasha sat up in a tree, glaring down at everything, his eyes shining more gold in the fire light. Shippou was already sleeping soundly in Kagome's sleeping bag.

"Took you three long enough," Inuyasha said, jumping down from his branch. "Better get some sleep before we set off in the morning." He scanned the sparkling night sky. "It's not going to rain, thank heavens, so we should be fine outside tonight."

"Where's Sesshoumaru?" Rei asked, looking around and not seeing him anywhere. _Probably wandered off somewhere._

"Keh. He's off in the forest a little ways away," he said, motioning vaguely toward the cluster of trees. "Too good for us to stay here. Let him go. Probably better this way."

"Rei, I have an extra sleeping bag. Do you want it?" Kagome offered.

"Um," Rei said uncertainly, "I think I'm going to find Sesshoumaru." She looked into the forest. "Don't worry about me. I can manage myself."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Rei looked back at Kagome. "I'm really sorry about…you know. I've just been really stressed out lately and…sorry," she said lamely.

Kagome glanced at her pityingly. "Don't worry about it. I understand. I'll see you in the morning."

The forest was darker than Rei expected. The trees grew densely together, and their leafy tops dappled the ground with oddly spotted patterns and shadows. She shivered. There could be any manner of demons hiding, waiting to attack. She shook off the thought. _We wouldn't have spent the night here if it were so infested._ A stray twig crunched under her feet, and she jumped, sending chills down her spine. _Heh. Just a branch. You're being ridiculous now, really._ Still…_I hate the dark._

Right before she was about to give up in frustration and jumpy nerves and head back to camp, she saw him.

He was leaning back against a tree, his eyes closed, like he was sleeping, but she knew better. He would have heard her from hundreds of yards away.

He looked splendid. With his white clothes and pale skin and silver hair, he almost glowed surreally in the moonlight, like an angel. _Or like a demon._ And for a moment, Rei wondered if it was really him, and if she hadn't just stumbled on somebody else. She could see the magenta stripes on his face, clear and sharp, like she had just noticed them for the first time. And he looked entirely unhuman.

She inched up to him apprehensively, tiptoeing as if she didn't want to disturb him. _This is silly. He knows I'm here._

"Rei."

_Caught._ She cleared her throat nervously. "Yes?"

"What do you want?"

Before she could lose her resolve, she carefully slid down beside him, arranging herself as comfortably as possible, clearly trying to show him that she was not going to move. "Nothing."

He opened his eyes a slit and glanced sidelong at her. "Then why," he said pointedly, "are you here, instead of sleeping at the campsite?"

_Ah, an excellent question. Why _am_ I here? Because I missed you? Because I like your company better? Because…_but she did not voice any of the thoughts that were going through her mind. "Because I felt like it," she said nonchalantly, trying desperately to make it seem totally random.

He turned his head. "Liar."

"I am not!" she said hotly. "I just felt like being here. It's quieter, that's all."

"Hmmm. But when you are here, we tend to argue, and then it ends up being not so quiet at all," he said, confused.

"You're the one who starts the arguments. I just wanted to sit down in peace and quiet," she retaliated.

He looked completely unconvinced. "You wanted to sit down next to me?"

"I didn't want to get attacked by demons in the middle of the night."

"Well, then it seems rather counterproductive to sleep next to a demon," he replied smartly.

She was at a loss for words. "Furthermore," he added, "as feeble as Inuyasha is, I think he is at least capable of protecting you. And you can protect yourself from the lowly youkai that roam around here." He closed his eyes again.

She couldn't think of anything to say to that. So she punched him in the shoulder. "Can't you just shut up and let me stay here?" she grumbled.

"No. Unless you tell me what is bothering you?" he said.

"There isn't anything bothering me," Rei lied. _I wonder if he can smell lies. Yup, probably, judging from the expression on his face._

He was frowning. "You should know by now that I can tell when you are lying. Now tell the truth. Or I will figure it out anyway."

Rei remembered the conversation at the spring with Kagome and Sango and wished she could tell Sesshoumaru a million things. She was scared that time was moving too quickly for her comfort, and once they defeated Naraku, she would have to go home. She looked into his face and felt her heart contract at the thought of never seeing it again. _But he means nothing to me,_ she thought dimly.

"I see," he said. Rei seemed to notice hollows under his eyes for the first time, as if he had seen too many things in the world, and he just wanted to go to sleep. She wanted to smooth them away, but she was frozen, too afraid to move.

He swept his pale gold eyes to her and licked her hollow with his gaze. Rei felt her throat pulsing with an unfamiliar rhythm, and she wanted to lay her head on his shoulder, wanted to touch him, wanted to remember him as he was now, solemn and beautiful and maybe worried…for her.

"Don't be afraid of tomorrow," he said so softly that she almost did not hear.

And she stared at the crescent moon on his forehead, remembering fatally that he was a demon, and she was a human, and they were too different. _If only…_ "I am already afraid of today," she said faintly. _I am afraid. Afraid that I can't put mind over matter, afraid that my heart will…_

"I can't. I'm afraid," she repeated, scarcely even knowing what she meant. "I'm so afraid."

He leaned closer to her, his eyes searching hers for a fear that he did not know. She was drowning in the gold. He was so close…they could touch noses if she just barely inched closer. She saw his eyes flicker down to her lips, and then…

All of a sudden, he retreated, like a flower touched by frost. He sat back against the tree, and Rei felt like she could cry. She wanted to…she wanted to…

On an impulse, she raised herself to his face and brushed her lips against his cheek. She was surprised. It was warm. "Good night, Sesshoumaru," she whispered.

Her head was so heavy. Ever so slowly, she leaned her head against his shoulder. Her hair was still wet and cold. But he didn't seem to mind. Her eyelids grew heavy and fluttered shut. She felt content, safe by his side, leaning against him. She was falling asleep.

_And tomorrow will come_, she thought sleepily, _but maybe, I can stay here like this…for just a little longer._

A/N: I really hate this chapter. Like, incredibly. And I hate it more because it took so long to get out. But I buckled down this Sunday and wrote it. So there you are. And more are coming. Really. Please forgive me for making you all wait so long.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"No, absolutely not. Take me with you."

Sesshoumaru cast his eyes upwards as if in silent prayer and then turned toward Rei with a not-so-kind sneer. "I thought you said that you were afraid of heights."

Inuyasha jumped in mercilessly, "You're afraid of _heights_? Really?"

"Shut up!" Rei hissed viciously. _What a big fat jerk. Obnoxiousness must be a family trait,_ she thought ruefully, looking from the cold snobbishness of Sesshoumaru to the gleefully mocking Inuyasha. She arranged her face into an expression of mournful pleading. "Please, Sesshoumaru? Please? I promise to be good. Don't leave me here with"—she wrinkled her nose distastefully at Inuyasha—"him."

Shippou leapt up to Rei's shoulder. In the two days they'd been together, he'd taken to her easily, and now chattered to her equally as much as he did to Kagome. "You hear that, Inuyasha?" he chirped, "Other people think you're annoying too!"

Inuyasha's face immediately grew stormy. "Hey, Shippou. Why don't you come over here so I can show you how annoying I think you are?" he growled.

As always, Kagome intervened with a look of pained optimism. These days, she was forced to be the peacemaker, since neither Sesshoumaru nor Rei was inclined to behave civilly toward Inuyasha, although Rei was more kindly disposed toward other members of the group. "Please, you guys. We didn't get together to have a tea party. Can't you all just _get along_ for once?" Her eyes were round in earnestness.

Inuyasha shook his sleeves in a manner of decided righteousness, folded his arms, and turned around purposefully. "First of all," he said pointedly, "I did not start this argument. Rei did."

Rei opened her mouth in protest, but before she could utter a word, Inuyasha cut her off.

"And secondly, I did not ask to work together. They did," he said, gesturing toward a glowering Sesshoumaru and a ferociously frowning Rei. "And thirdly, I still don't understand why we're pretending to be friends, since a certain someone over there"—here he looked directly at Sesshoumaru—"has tried to kill us so many times."

Kagome sighed. "Inuyasha?"

"Yes?"

"Sit!" There was a loud crash followed by a string of impressively colorful curses.

Kagome dusted off her hands quietly. "I didn't want to do it, but you made me. I feel like it's the only way to solve problems these days."

There was a muffled sentence that sounded like, "That's damn unfair."

The sun was already high in the sky, and they still hadn't left yet. After an awkwardly silent breakfast, which Kagome had unsuccessfully tried to fill with small talk and Miroku and Sango kept exchanging meaningful glances of "this is so not going to work," the now seven-person group could not agree on anything. It was not a promising start to the journey. But heading to Naraku's castle had brought on a whole new onslaught of disagreements. Kagome invited Rei to ride Kirara with Sango, Shippou, and Miroku, and Kagome would be on Inuyasha's back as always. The invitation did not extend to Sesshoumaru, obviously. He would fly as he usually did. At any rate, he did not appreciate being with the constantly loud and bumbling humans. But Rei did not want to be in Inuyasha's presence and made that clear. However, Sesshoumaru was equally unwilling to carry her again. "You have a ride," he'd insisted. And of course, the squabbling had only worsened from there, because Rei, human though she was, matched Sesshoumaru equally in obstinacy.

"Now. See Rei?" Kagome said cheerily. "I won't let Inuyasha misbehave on the way there. I promise. If he annoys you, just tell me, and I'll put him back in his place. Actually, Sesshoumaru can come with us if he wants. He doesn't have to fly. It'll make for good family bonding time!" She looked sickeningly hopeful about the whole idea.

"Erm…" Rei said uncertainly. _Family bonding time?_ She looked at Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, who for the first time, had the exact same expressions of utmost horror on their faces. _I think that's a little too much to expect of them. I'm already impressed that no one's been killed yet._ "What do you say, Sesshoumaru? How about some good ol' _family bonding time_," she asked, fakely gushy.

"As tempting as that sounds," he replied curtly, "I'd rather not. And," he added, "I still am not carrying you."

Rei's face fell. "Why?"

"Because you weigh a lot. And it's easier to fly on my own."

Her jaw dropped. "Hey! Did you just imply that I'm fat?!" Her fury was scorching. "That's it. You better carry me, or else…I'll sit on you with my fat self." She set her teeth determinedly refusing to step down.

Kagome and the others watched in shocked incredulity. In the past few days, they'd seen Rei insult and yell at Sesshoumaru fearlessly. By now they should have been used to it, but it was still a surprise every time that Sesshoumaru didn't simply cut her head off like he surely would have done with anyone else. But it was clear that his temper had noticeably softened toward everyone with Rei in his presence. Still, no one except Rei dared test the boundaries of his patience.

Sesshoumaru, the one who hated thoughtless bickering the most (although, ironically, he engaged it in often), finally gave in, impatient to be off. "But I warn you, I do not want to hear a single complaint. Not a single one."

Rei smiled as innocently as the sun. "You won't hear a word." She made the exaggerated motion of zipping her lips and tossing away the key, and smiled brightly. _I win again. Pushover. He's a just big softie at heart,_ she gloated inside.

Sesshoumaru was baffled at how easily her moods changed and suspected it was either a human thing (and Rin was simply the exception) or a teenage thing, which seemed like the more likely explanation. Or perhaps it was simply a "Rei" thing. That was probably it.

"See you there," Inuyasha called, already jogging off with Kagome on his back. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and murmured something like, "I cannot believe we're doing this."

"Chin up," Rei encouraged, "at least you'll finally be able to defeat Naraku." She climbed onto his back and took a desperate look around, trying to implant the feeling of being solidly on the ground into her brain before they flew off. She swallowed hard. _Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look down._ And then, she felt that familiar stomach-dropping-to-the-floor sensation accompanied by the wind whipping her hair ferociously and tried to quash the nausea that was rising to her throat. _You asked for it,_ a sly voice in her head asserted. "Shut up," she muttered.

Sesshoumaru turned his head slightly. "I didn't say anything," he said, confused.

There was no reply as Rei clamped her mouth shut and buried her face into her bearer's cool silver hair. "I think I'm going to be sick," she moaned.

"Well don't be," was the pointed response.

She pressed her nose harder into his back. "I can't help it."

He gave her no quarter. "Try harder."

Desperately, Rei tried to concentrate on anything except the dizziness and discomfort that was undoubtedly going to lead to Sesshoumaru's shining head of hair dripping with…vomit. _Um, you're about to dive into Naraku's castle, which is undoubtedly filled with miasma and…essence of Naraku. Tentacles, darkness, 99.9 probability of being killed, at least 90 probability of being killed in a horrible fashion, sounds like a real fun time. And you're airsick? You can get over this. Plus…do you really want to spoil the pretty silver hair? No, I don't think you do,_ she chanted persuasively to herself. _I could swear that the hair is floral scented._ She grew increasingly incensed at the thought. _Is that fair? His hair is better than _mine, _and we're in an age where shampoo hasn't been invented yet and conditioner is nowhere in sight. _

She felt much better. Her indignity had clearly won out over her nausea. _But hmmm…_ "Are you flying smoother or am I imagining that?" she asked, surprised.

"I am."

"Thank you."

He laughed. "Trust me. I have an equally urgent desire for you not to get sick, since it will probably directly impact me. Negatively."

Rei shivered suddenly. "It's cold up here. Colder than it was last time."

"Yes. Don't look now, but I believe that some rain is about to fall," Sesshoumaru said.

"Oh no. Please tell me you're not serious," she said, groaning. She scanned the skies. The day had dawned clear, but although the sun had stayed out through noon, clouds had gathered progressively as the hours passed. Now, fluffy gray clouds bunched together, completely obscuring the sun. A wind had picked up, and the temperature had plummeted noticeably. This was not going to be a pleasant, warm shower. _It's gonna be one of those. Persistent and damningly cold._ She could feel the goose bumps rise on her flesh. _As if it isn't cold enough already,_ she thought in despair.

Sure enough, before five minutes had passed, Rei felt a large, heavy drop on her head. "Here it comes," she said grimly, repositioning her arms firmly around Sesshoumaru's neck.

When the rain came, it was steady, freezing, and extremely…wet. Rei was miserable and sniffly and tried in vain to absorb Sesshoumaru's body heat. He flew steadily without complaint. But before long…

Flash. Crack.

"Eeeeek!" Rei squealed and almost let go. So high up in the sky, the lightening was blinding and the thunder was deafening. Breathing heavily, she tried to contain the frantic beating of her heart. _This would be an extremely inopportune time for a heart attack._ But she couldn't prevent herself from freezing to death. "Sesshoumaru," she chattered, "please…"

He raised his voice over the pattering of the rain and the occasional peal of thunder. "Get ready."

Before Rei could even begin to contemplate what exactly she was preparing herself for, Sesshoumaru dropped her.

For one terrifying, uncomprehending moment, Rei wondered what it would feel like to splat onto the ground like a bug on a windshield. Would it hurt or would she not have time to feel it?

Then, she was safely cradled against Sesshoumaru's chest, his one arm surprisingly strong, holding her against him as if she weighed nothing at all. Her breathing was unsteady and her mind suddenly cloudy. "I thought you said I weighed a lot," she said haltingly.

"Hush," he said quietly, and he bent over her slightly to shield her from the rain. They flew together like that, as if they were both standing on ground hugging, only they were in the air. Rei put her arms around Sesshoumaru's neck and put her cheek against the hollow of his throat.

The rain still poured down mercilessly, and they were both soaked. Their silk clothes, weighted down with water flapped loudly in the wind, and their long wet hair intermingled, becoming a streaming whirl of silver and black. But Rei thought privately that it was a far more comfortable position than the one she was previously in. She was still sopping wet, but holding close to Sesshoumaru, she was much warmer. She snuggled closer.

Ever so slowly, the rain began to lighten up. The storm was beginning to pass. "How much longer until we get there? It seemed so much shorter last time," Rei said.

"At least another hour. I am forced to fly slowly to keep pace with Inuyasha. Otherwise, we would certainly be there by now." Rei could hear the strong bite of impatience and annoyance in his voice. She smiled a little. _Family bonding time…surely not, Kagome._

_Another hour? Oh well, I guess. At least we're not walking. I remember those days when we walked everywhere. Those blisters on my feet! And Rin never once complained…she never…_Rei was sleeping soundly on Sesshoumaru's shoulder.

The sun was peeping out from behind the quickly dissipating gray clouds, and the wind was warming up too. It acted like a gentle hair dryer, and before long, their clothes went from dripping wet, to damp, to dry. Sesshoumaru flew silently through the sky, and as motionless as a statue, trying not to jostle his sleeping passenger.

Rei was a heavy sleeper. He needn't have worried.

When they finally descended to the ground and met up with Inuyasha, she was still completely out. Gently, he shook her and whispered in her ear. "Wake up. Everyone is staring at you."

"What?" she asked groggily. "Ouch, my back hurts. What position was I sleeping in?" She raised her arms above her head, stretched, and yawned, obviously still not aware of the fact that Sesshoumaru was still clutching her against him like a rag doll. But then, she rubbed her eyes and opened them, and noticed that Sesshoumaru's face was less than three inches away from her own. "Ah!" she screamed in surprise. He put her down.

In horror, she suddenly became conscious of the small circle of people gawking at her. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks as she remembered exactly what had transpired on the way there. "Um, hi guys!" she said lamely.

"Hi to you too," Inuyasha said. "We're here, sleepyhead." He gestured toward the shrine they stood by.

_Anako's shrine…Tsubaki's shrine. It looks still the same. It's hard to believe that only a week ago, we were here, fighting for our lives. It's so peaceful. So deceivingly tranquil. No one would think that Naraku is here._ A lark called from a nearby tree. The sky had cleared, and puffy white clouds drifted unbidden over the unbroken blue. "Got a plan?" Rei asked casually, trying not to betray her nervousness.

Inuyasha snorted. "Keh. Who needs a plan? We just force our way in, find Naraku, who is probably waiting for us with some half-baked trap, and kick some ass. Let's go."

Rei glanced over at Sesshoumaru, the calm and prepared one, seeing if he approved of Inuyasha's careless assessment of the situation. Sesshoumaru shrugged. "We will win by sheer numbers." He looked carefully at Rei, as if assessing her chances in the battle ahead. "Keep your sword close," he said in a low voice, so no one else would hear. She nodded mutely, touching the scabbard in reassurance.

Without even attempting to knock, Inuyasha splintered the door off the doorframe with a swipe of his claws. "Element of surprise," he snarled gleefully. They all rushed in after him.

Inside, the shrine was totally abandoned. There was not a shrine maiden to be seen. They ransacked every room. Nothing. Grimacing, Rei led them to the abandoned well that was the opening to the basement. When the dusty lid was lifted, the sickening scent of rot and death wafted up to them. "Yep. Smells like he's definitely down there," Inuyasha said with satisfaction.

Kagome climbed on Inuyasha's back, and he jumped. Miroku and Sango followed. Shippou looked apprehensive as he eyed the darkness. He gulped, before taking a deep breath and leaping in into the depths of the well. "Aiiiiii!" they could hear him squeal as he fell.

Rei was not psyched out to surrender herself to the horror of jumping into that well again. She looked at Sesshoumaru, and his eyes met hers. He knelt down so she could get another piggyback ride, but she swore that he muttered under his breath, "Baby." The fall was longer and dreamlike, and the landing was gentle. There was no squishy Naraku to catch them this time, however. Rei tried not to choke on the disgusting smell that had only intensified.

Everyone paused for a moment to scan the surroundings and catch his or her breath. Rei was surprised. Last time she had landed in the basement, it was a large, damp chamber held up by cold cement pillars. Now, the basement looked like ancient catacombs. It was a maze. Four different paths branched out before them.

"A trick," Miroku murmured. "Naraku must be hiding in this maze that he has created. There are probably demons hiding everywhere, hoping to demolish us before we can even reach the big prize."

"Should we split up?" Sango asked.

"Definitely not," said Inuyasha grimly. "That would be the worst idea. He would pick us off one by one. Everyone stay together."

He randomly picked a tunnel and everyone followed. Rei marveled at Sesshoumaru's remarkable self-control. He seemed to not take offense that Inuyasha was the one who was bossily leading everyone around. His face betrayed no emotion except total determination. _To kill Naraku,_ she thought.

They ran. The pitter-patter of their feet sounded extremely loud in the total silence. Rei was afraid that Naraku could hear them from miles away. There seemed to be nothing in the darkness except the seven people, searching blindly for a sly Naraku. Rei could feel her skin crawl. It was like being stuck in a horror movie, just waiting for something awful to pop out and attack.

Rei was running last. Obviously being the least fit out of everyone (_Kagome's gotten much more practice of travel without cars than I do_), she was struggling to keep up. She hated being last and kept turning her head to see if there was something creeping up behind her. A chill shot up her spine every time she looked into the solid blackness that could have been hiding anything.

There was a branch in the path. The path they ran on still stretched on straight and unending before them, but another path forked out on the right. As they ran by, Rei felt a jolt of surprise when she heard a voice coming from the right. It sounded familiar. And it was calling her name. _It can't be_, she thought, as she slowed to stop and wavered at the mouth of the beckoning tunnel. The voice called out again. _Impossible._

There was no time to contemplate the consequences of what she was about to do. Rei followed the voice. "I'm coming! I hear you!" she yelled as she ran at breakneck speed, her heart rising hopefully. Behind her, she could hear everyone calling out in horror. "Stop, Rei! Come back! Don't!" They grew fainter and fainter, and all of a sudden, the calls stopped. She looked back. She saw only darkness. Her friends were gone. There was nowhere to go, except forward. "I'm coming!" she panted.

She saw a small figure. It was getting closer. _Is it really…?_ She could see. She stumbled to a stop in front of the thing.

It was Rin.

Stunned, Rei dropped to her knees and looked into her face. It was her. She was smiling joyously. She was thinner, and her face was grimy with clean streaks from tears that still flowed plentifully down her less-plump cheeks. Her hair was a mess. But it was undoubtedly her.

"Rei!" Rin said in delight, her girlish voice just slightly hoarse. "I knew you would come for me!"

Without a second thought, Rei locked her in a bone-crushing hug. She was real. Solid in her arms, she was not an illusion. "I can't believe…how…" Rei couldn't finish her sentence. She stroked the little girl's hair gently. "You're real."

Rin spoke muffled from Rei's shoulder. "Kagura took care of me. I think Naraku wanted to keep me so he could blackmail Lord Sesshoumaru." She lifted her head and looked seriously into Rei's eyes. "Naraku told you I was dead, didn't he?"

Wordlessly, Rei nodded.

"I wasn't. But I knew you would figure it out." She smiled trustingly. "Where is Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Rei's heart sank. Involuntarily, she looked over her shoulder. There was no one. She couldn't hear a thing. "I lost him. But he's here." She stood up and grasped Rin's small hand. "Let's go find him."

"Not so fast," a voice slithered from the darkness. With dark greasy locks, menacing armor, and slitted red eyes, Naraku stepped out from the gloom. "Got you," he said with a leer.

_Oh no._ "Rin, get behind me!" Rei said sharply, trying desperately to prevent her voice from quivering. Her shaking hand drew the sword from her waist, and she held it before her protectively.

He laughed. "This is a fun game. A warm-up, before I find the others. You've had too many chances already."

Rei gripped the sword harder. "Come and get me, then."

"You're a tough talker. Gritty for a little human girl. Too bad I have to kill you," he said regretfully.

He took a step forward.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

It took every ounce of self-control for Rei not to take a step backward. Pitifully, Rin huddled behind her, shaking with terror. "I wish Lord Sesshoumaru was here," she whispered shakily. _Me too,_ thought Rei.

Naraku came closer and closer, grinning maliciously. "Don't worry. I'll get rid of you two long before Sesshoumaru finds me. By the time I'm done, not even Tenseiga will be able to bring you back."

Rei clutched the hilt tightly; her knuckles were white. There was a moment of breathless stillness, as Naraku paused, and Rei waited for whatever doom he was about to throw at her. Suddenly, he shot out a sharp tentacle from his arm that headed straight for Rei's heart.

She watched her death approaching, frozen. _How odd. Time really does slow when you're about to die,_ she thought vaguely as the tentacle flew ever closer. She could hear Rin scream from behind her. It sounded so far away. Then, a sharp voice sliced into her dreamy thoughts. _Fight, damn it! Don't you dare give up now. Don't you dare let Naraku win._ It was Sesshoumaru's voice, and it rang loud and clear. She snapped out of her trance and slashed the sword before her.

Shocked, she watched the tentacle slice cleanly in half, and the disconnected piece fell wriggling to the ground. There was no blood. Her reflexes weren't half bad. Naraku cursed angrily. "Lucky strike," he hissed. In a flash, he was next to her, his eyes narrowed, the red slits furious. His arm made a wild grab at Rin, and he picked her up by her hair. "Got you," he said.

Rin screamed again, this time from pain. Rei whirled around and brought the sword down on the hand that clutched Rin, and she heard the sickening crunch of bone, though there was still no blood. In the blink of an eye, the hand was lying on the ground, twitching. Rin fell on the floor whimpering, rubbing her scalp. Before Naraku could react to his loss of his hand, Rei attacked again, this time hacking crazily at whatever her sword could make contact with. She forced herself not to close her eyes, not to look away, as Naraku screamed. The sword flashed like lightening, quicker than Rei even believed possible of herself. An arm separated from a shoulder. Another one. His legs fell free of his torso. And finally, the blade made contact with his neck, and the head rolled off, the face still twisted with an expression of hatred.

But it wasn't over yet. Black mist, evil smelling, poisonous smoke came pouring out of the wounds where blood should have been. "It's miasma," Rei yelled. Hurriedly, she stuffed the sword back into the scabbard. Bending down, she scooped Rin up in her arms, and _ran_.

She was blind in the darkness, but she knew she couldn't let the poison touch them, or surely, their flesh would melt off. She heard the hiss of miasma leaking from Naraku's broken body behind them. She was terrified to look back, but she did anyway. Horrified, she saw Naraku's hand connect back to his arm, and the rest of his body began rebuilding itself. His hands reached for the head, whose mouth was still talking. "I'll get you, Rei. I'll get you!" She ran harder, her heart pounding in fear. The fear petrified her lungs, and she had to keep reminding herself to breathe. _It's a maze! No matter where I go, Naraku will find me. He'll find us. And then he'll kill us. I'm no match for him._

Surprisingly, she heard Naraku's yells fade behind her before long, and soon, she was running through silence. Dread built up in the pit of her stomach. _Oh God. He's playing with us, like a cat plays with a mouse just before it feeds. He thinks this is a game. _Rin had her eyes tightly shut, her face buried into Rei's chest. "I'm scared. I hate the dark," Rin sobbed quietly.

Rei was scared too. Her arms were so numb that she felt none of Rin's weight, and perhaps it was for the best, or else she would never have been able to run as fast as she was doing now.

A wall appeared before them. It was a dead end. _Oh no. No. No no no no._ Helplessly, Rei turned around. Where was Naraku? A voice slithered through the darkness. "I see you." It laughed. There was nowhere to go, but back. Rei couldn't think. Her mind was cloudy and paralyzed. She sprinted back in the direction they came from, trying in vain to escape the omniscient voice that was waiting to consume them. It was impossible. The voice chased after them, seemingly only a few feet behind them, taunting, "I'm coming for you. Keep running. You can't go anywhere."

To her dismay, Rei heard noises in the direction she was going. "Is it a trick?" she screamed. "Where are you, Naraku?" For the first time, his voice was silent. Unsure of whether to keep going toward the sounds or turn around, she continued to run, knowing her legs would be unable to respond to any order to change direction. _I'm running into the jaws of death. Naraku must be waiting for me. This is the end._

It was definitely unexpected when she ran headlong into Inuyasha. "Oh! It's you!" she gasped with an equal mixture of surprise and relief. Everyone was there, gaping incomprehensibly at her. "Rei?" Kagome asked uncertainly.

Slowly catching her breath, Rei peered cautiously around Inuyasha's shoulder and caught Sesshoumaru's eye. Inuyasha stepped aside quietly, obviously waiting for Sesshoumaru to handle this situation. "Hello," Rei said timidly.

Rin twisted in Rei's arms and her eyes widened. "Lord Sesshoumaru!" she cried joyously, jumping to the ground and running to him. He stared at her in total disbelief. "Rin?"

She nodded vigorously. Sesshoumaru knelt down and touched the top of her head tentatively. He breathed out in wonder. "You're…alive?" his voice tinted with untarnished hope. Her grin was almost wider than her face. "I missed you," she said brightly.

Sesshoumaru smiled. "I missed you too," he murmured.

Rei was watching, filled with happiness. _He did miss you, Rin. He missed you so much._

_I missed you too._

After a moment, Sesshoumaru turned to glare at Rei. He looked absolutely furious, his eyes dangerously flashing. He strode over to her swiftly and impaled her with his scowl. She cowered. "Um, yes?" she said nervously.

"You listen to me," he began dangerously, towering over her. "Don't ever—don't ever," —he paused to take deep breaths and steady himself—"run away from me like that again," he finished quietly. Rei looked up at him and saw that intermingled with his anger, he looked helpless and afraid. She lowered her head again. "I cannot protect you if you are not by my side," he said.

"You made me a promise once," his voice barely audible, "You said, 'I won't die today.' I remember it. I expect that promise to apply, every day." He lifted his hand to touch her face, running his fingers (_with those sharp claws,_ Rei thought faintly) down her cheek, coming down to grip her chin firmly, forcing her to look up at him.

He was staring at her with that agonized, powerless expression. "Don't break your promise."

She was speechless.

"Don't break it," he repeated.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and found her voice. "Okay," she managed to say.

Sighing, he let her go. "You are reckless and impulsive. But you found Rin," he said, the small smile finally returning to his face. "I suppose I should thank you."

Rei straightened and lifted her chin defiantly. "Don't thank me, stupid. Don't think that I love her any less," she said fiercely.

Sesshoumaru only nodded. "I believe you."

From the sidelines, everyone watched the scene in silence. Inuyasha had his arms crossed, looking severely impatient about it all. Kagome was smiling with tears in her eyes. Sango looked at Miroku meaningfully, as if to say, "I told you so."

Miroku spoke first, shaking his head and giving a low whistle. "I didn't think it would ever happen."

"What?" said Rin.

"Oh, nothing," Kagome said quickly, but looking happy all the same.

The putrid smell intensified, and Rei cringed as she heard Naraku's voice slither out again, before he materialized in their midst, chuckling darkly.

"You're on my turf now," he said.

"Move!" Inuyasha bellowed, and everyone rushed to one side of the narrow tunnel, putting several yards of space between them and Naraku. He cackled as Anako (or Tsubaki) appeared at his side, her white hair shimmering, her green eyes sharp and satisfied.

Kagome gasped. "It's you!"

She looked as content as a cat. "Of course it is," Anako said glamorously. "Who else would it be?" She redirected her attention at Rei. "Still alive, are you? I gave you fair warning. You would have been wise to join our side when you had the chance. Now you're on the losing side," she sneered. "You could have shared the power. Naraku had nothing against you." She sighed sweetly. "Regret is a precious emotion."

"I don't regret anything, you old hag!" Rei yelled. "Oh wait. I forgot. My one regret is that Kagome and Inuyasha didn't finish you off ages ago."

Anako was affronted. "Old hag? I am not old. I am young and beautiful." She flipped her pure white locks. "And you will soon regret that you ever spoke to me that way, silly girl." Sesshoumaru let out a vicious hiss.

Inuyasha stepped forth boldly. "So, Tsubaki. Why'd Naraku want you back now? You failed once, didn't you?"

"How audacious of you," she said loftily. "Black mikos aren't so plentiful. My small shrine was perfect to shield his presence so he could safely plot to annihilate you all. And look!" She clapped like a child. "Here you are, all lined up, waiting to die. It's just the way we wanted it, isn't it, my lord?" she glanced up at Naraku for assurance.

"Yes. You did very well, Anako."

She glowed.

"Too much talking," snarled Naraku, and as he spoke, he released a slew of demons. They shot forward in an impossibly thick flock, all scaly bodies, sharp claws, and bulging eyes.

Inuyasha swept his gigantic sword, and impressively, in a blinding blast of light, a wave of demons was obliterated. "I thought even you could come up with better than this half-baked plan, Naraku. Those weak demons are no match for the Tetsusaiga!" he shouted over the roar of the attack.

"Look again," came Naraku's response.

To everyone's extreme disbelief, the flow of demons had not ceased. The barrage continued pouring forth, an endless fount. Inuyasha's attacks, Kagome's shower of gleaming pink arrows, and Sango's Hiraikotsu all did no good. "Where are they coming from?" Sango hollered, trying to be heard over the hellish din.

Of course Sesshoumaru was not about to stand the incompetence of humans and a half-demon who were struggling to destroy a mere crowd of weakling demons. He drew Tokijin, almost lazily, and with a graceful flick of the wrist, sent a shockwave of blue light toward the demons. Immediately, all of the demons disappeared. "Easy," he said calmly.

But it wasn't over. Naraku just barked a laugh and let loose monstrous crowd. "Not so easy," he challenged.

This time, Miroku made to open his wind tunnel and swallow them all, but Anako interrupted him before he could do it. "I wouldn't if I were you. In case you lot forgot, I do specialize in curses. Very good curses too," she added, "if I do say so myself. And the demons are all quite thoroughly cursed, so it might be rather nasty if you drew them into that black hole in your palm."

"I'll do it anyway," Miroku said, determined and thoughtless as always. Sango leapt over and grabbed his wrist. "Don't you dare." Lost, he looped the beads back over his hand.

There was nothing to do but continue attacking futilely, hopelessly.

"Wait," Kagome said suddenly. "They're not coming from Naraku, look!" She pointed. Rei was surprised. "They're coming from Anako!"

"And Anako can't summon demons. She's a black miko. Remember what Tsubaki was good at?" Kagome said grimly. "Shikigami. They're just cursed shikigami, paper puppets. They're not real!"

"It doesn't matter if they're real or not. They're still coming at us," Miroku reminded her.

"Clearly. But if they're coming from Anako, that's easy. Just aim for her instead of the fake demons. Naraku would be different, but we can get rid of her, piece of cake. We've done it before," she said.

Before she had even finished her sentence, Sesshoumaru had already slashed through the shikigami, and in a flash, was standing before the terrified black miko. "Naraku," she stuttered, "protect me."

"No regrets," said Sesshoumaru, before cutting off her head. Blood spurted from her neck, as her head plopped to the ground, soft as a baked apple, trailing ribbons of long white hair, and the headless body crumpled.

"Diversion successful," Naraku said, his voice now coming from behind the group. He had a tentacle wrapped around Rei's waist, holding her above the ground, bringing her to eye level with him. He had another razor pointed tentacle poised delicately inches away from her throat.

Rei heard Inuyasha curse. Just barely, she turned to look at Sesshoumaru, who was as still as a statue, frozen. At this moment, Rei couldn't help but stare at his perfection. _He really is beautiful,_ she thought inanely. Her eyes traced the crescent on his forehead, wishing that they were her fingers. Her pleading eyes met his pale gold ones. His gaze was scorching. She was melting in Naraku's grasp.

A low laugh escaped from Naraku. "Still pining for him. How delicious."

He raised his voice so the others could hear. "What are you waiting for? Come and get me." He squeezed Rei tighter. She winced.

"Don't move," Sesshoumaru warned.

"What's wrong?" taunted Naraku. "I thought better of you, Sesshoumaru. She's a mere human girl. You can find another one of those anywhere. You won't miss her." The tentacle threatening her throat moved closer. He laughed again. "You all are too easy. Don't worry. Come no closer, and I won't harm her. For now, at least."

Rei turned her head and gazed into Naraku's red eyes, brimming with delight. She could see that he had no intention of doing what he said. He was going to kill her, and he was going to do it right here. Her mind flashed back to the Bone Eater's well. _So this is what I was sent here for._ "Sesshoumaru! Kill him. Please. Just do it. This is what I am here for, don't you see?" She looked at him desperately, begging. "Don't let me get in your way. _Just kill him._ I believe in you!" She saw him shake his head ever so slightly.

"This is fate," she said.

"I don't give a damn what fate is," he growled.

_I can't let me be the death of them all. There must be something I can do._ Everyone was motionless, afraid that one wrong move would lead to the hostage's death. _How silly. I'm going to die anyway. I mean, there have been plenty of near-death experiences that I have escaped by the grace of God, but this is it. This is the real thing. I came all the way back five hundred and fifty years for this,_ she mused bitterly, _Really? Because I could have at least prevented myself from getting attached to all these people. At least I could have died without a friend in the world so I wouldn't have felt sad about it. _

_At least I could have not fallen in love._

"Ah, well," Naraku's voice cut into her thoughts. "Very romantic. But unfortunately, I don't have time to watch this soap opera unfold. Three, two"—_he's counting down my death_, she realized, startled—

In a last second hope, she drew the sword at her waist with one flailing hand and drove it deep into Naraku's chest. "One!" she shrieked, and he dropped her. Without stop, she scrambled as far away from him as possible—_stay away from the miasma_—and toward Sesshoumaru's feet, which seemed like the most beautiful things in the entire world in that instant.

With a roar, Sesshoumaru sent off a massive wall of blue energy toward Naraku.

Inuyasha, catching the gist, yelled, "Hey you bastard, that's my job!" as he added his backlash wave. Kagome fired a sacred arrow into the heart of the storm. They could hear Naraku's last screams.

But it wasn't the end. A cloud of miasma burst forth, roiling like the rapids of a powerful river. Kagome put up a barrier around herself, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Kirara. Sesshoumaru barely flicked an eyelid, but in a flash of dread, he turned back toward Rei and Rin who were entirely unprotected.

"Rin!" Rei said and grabbed the girl to her body, knowing nothing else to do, hoping against hope that maybe Rin would be saved.

The miasma washed over them. Distantly, Rei thought she could hear Sesshoumaru's strangled cry.

xXx

As the poisonous black fumes melted away, Kagome removed the barrier. Stricken, she ran over. "Rin and Rei weren't in my barrier. They…" Her words melted away as she saw in wonder, Rei still embracing Rin. They were still alive.

Most strangely, Rei was emitting a bright pink glow that enveloped them both.

Kagome stared. "You—you're a miko."

Rei opened her eyes, and then looked shocked that she was still living. The pink light flickered, and then disappeared. "What?" she said incoherently. She let Rin go, who bounded over to Sesshoumaru tearfully.

"Must…must run in the family," Rei managed to sputter, as her knees buckled. The world went black, but she felt someone catch her before she hit the floor. The corners of her lips lifted a little bit, because she was certain of who it was.

--

A/N: Please review. This took a lot of late nights and frustration. Gimme some thoughts, good or bad. Or both. Or anything, really.


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Rei woke up feeling groggy and disoriented. She could hear birds chirping outside, which seemed odd and out of place. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around and saw with surprise that she was back in Kaede's hut and lying in bed. It was the same bed that she had woken up after her first night in the Feudal Era, surrounded by Inuyasha and Kagome and the others, poking and prodding her with questions. _And that's when it started. Seems like a hundred years have passed since then._ This time, however, she was alone. The hut was silent.

She was a little bit disappointed, and then she mentally kicked herself for feeling that way. _Stupid,_ she scolded, _you're being selfish and just downright dumb._ In the back of her mind, there was a tiny hope that she would wake up, and Sesshoumaru would be there, watching over her like in sweeping romance novels, ready to comfort her the moment she woke up. _But this is Sesshoumaru, remember? He has just about as much patience as a raging bull has when waiting to attack its victim._ She sighed.

Reluctantly, she got up, knowing that if she kept sleeping, it would only give her a worse headache. The sunlight, when she stepped out the door, was blinding. She blinked, willing her eyes to work again.

Kaede was walking toward her with a basket of herbs looped on her arm. "You're fine now," she said. It wasn't a question. She had a proud smile on her face, but she saw that Rei was confused. "Ah yes, I'm sure you're wondering where the others are. They were waiting for you to wake up, but you kept sleeping and sleeping, and they got bored." She shrugged apologetically. "I think they just took a break. They'll be back."

"How long was I asleep?" Rei asked, wondering exactly how long it would take for her sleepiness to bore them.

"About a day and a half, not including the time it took to get you here. But that wasn't a very long time. Sesshoumaru can go very quickly when he has a mind to," she replied blandly.

_Wow, I was out._ Almost right on cue, the group came shuffling back from the forest, laughing as they went. Shippou spotted her first. "Hey guys," he squealed, "Rei's awake now!" He scrambled to her excitedly. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," Rei answered, touched by his concern. "I feel great. A little sleepy, maybe." She winked at him, and he grinned.

"Not enough to go back to sleep, I hope," Inuyasha grumbled.

Rin was right on Shippou's tail. "I thought you'd _never_ wake up," she said, wide-eyed.

Miroku laughed good-naturedly. "No kidding. We had to keep telling her that you were just sleeping. You look like you're dead when you sleep, you know that? You barely breathe. And we had to keep her from shaking you. She kept wanting to wake you up herself."

Rei relaxed. Everyone was happy, and everything was back to normal. Except for one thing. "Where's Sesshoumaru?"

"You don't really think that he would hang out with us, do you?" Inuyasha said to her. "I know we worked together and all, but we're still not bosom buddies. No, he made sure Rin would stay with us, and then he kind of just wandered off."

"Where?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah, I don't keep tabs on Sesshoumaru's whereabouts. But he can't be far. We still have to settle the matter of this Sacred Jewel thing." For the first time, Rei heard an edge of anxiety in his voice, as he pulled a pink marble out of his haori. It looked beautiful and tempting and she could see why everyone wanted it. "If we make the right wish, it should disappear," he said.

Silently, Sesshoumaru had smoothly crept up to stand next to Rei. She was startled to see him. "You're here."

"Of course." And that was all he had to say.

Sango took Miroku's hand in her own, and Rei noticed that he no longer had his right hand concealed by cloth and beads. The Wind Tunnel curse was gone. "Inuyasha, it's time to make the wish," Sango said serenely.

He still looked unsure. His eyes darted toward Kagome's questioningly. "This is going to work, right?"

"Definitely," she assured him. She closed the distance between them and touched his nose with her own. "Don't be afraid," she whispered.

"Keh. I'm not. I'm just…worried, I guess."

She grabbed her face in her hands. "Look at me. If you're worried that I won't love you after you become a human, then you're being ridiculous. I love you no matter what you are. I love you now. I'll love you always." She paused. "I admit that I'll miss the ears," she said teasingly, reaching one hand up to tweak a fuzzy ear. "I think you're perfect, no matter what form you take. But just think, Inuyasha. After you become a human, we'll be able to grow old together, as equals. You wouldn't like me if I became old and you didn't. And I wouldn't like it very much either. Trust me. It'll be wonderful."

Rei felt sad. She looked up at Sesshoumaru and saw that he was already staring down at her. _We'd never be able to grow old together. There's no wish for us._ She had an intense urge to grab the Jewel from Inuyasha's hands. But she knew that Sesshoumaru would never want to become a human for her. And she would not want to become a demon either. _So in the end, there is nothing for us here._

They all stood in a circle around Inuyasha and Kagome. Rei watched wistfully as Kagome put her arms around Inuyasha, and he pressed the Jewel in his hand, looking as if he was concentrating very hard. "Make the wish," Kagome said, just barely loud enough that everyone could hear. Inuyasha closed his eyes.

In shock, Rei saw Inuyasha's bright silver hair slowly begin to muddy up and slowly turn black. The ears on top of his head retracted back into his head, as human ears appeared from his dark hair. The claws blunted and grew shorter until they looked like normal nails. When his eyes finally opened and widened in astonishment, they were brown. He was human.

Kagome let go and her eyes were gleaming in happiness. She pried open his hand and peered inside. The Jewel was gone. Forever. She gave a loud whoop and threw her arms around him, and their lips met in a kiss.

Embarrassed, Rei looked away. _This is my _grandmother. _Awkward._ She glanced up through her lashes at Sesshoumaru, and he looked equally disturbed by the scene. She suppressed the urge to giggle.

Finally, in what seemed like decades later, Kagome and Inuyasha broke their embrace, but they were both smiling ecstatically, as if they'd found each other for the first time. Without another word, they linked hands and walked back toward Kaede's hut. Miroku and Sango followed.

Shippou and Rin were getting along exceedingly well and had quickly lost interest after Inuyasha had made his human transformation. Rei and Sesshoumaru were alone. Oddly, she was tongue-tied and uncomfortably shy. _What is there to say? Ha, thanks for having a life-changing adventure with me. I guess this is the part where we're supposed to pull a Kagome and Inuyasha and declare our love for each other forever, and then move on into our deliriously wonderful happily ever after._ "Um…I…uhhh…I think I need to go talk to Kagome. I'll see you around, I guess."

Desperately avoiding eye contact, she ran after everyone else, head bowed, wishing that he would come after her.

He didn't.

xXx

It was like the entire world was filled with happy couples in love. Rei felt horribly awkward as she sat in Kaede's hut, forcing herself to concentrate on Kaede's preparation of dinner, and not of Miroku and Sango, or worse, Inuyasha and Kagome as they basked in newfound contentment.

Rei was convinced that she had never been more miserable in her entire life. Everyone else sitting around the table was completely oblivious to her state of wretched depression and chattered cheerfully. She could hardly stand it. Just before she was about to run outside screaming to block out everything, Kagome interrupted her thoughts. "I had no idea that you could create barriers."

"Huh?" Rei said, confused.

"The barrier you made in Naraku's castle that blocked the miasma. It was incredible. You never told me you could do that."

"I didn't know I could do that either."

Kagome smiled. "It must have really sapped the strength out of you. You were out for a while. And you seemed really disoriented before you passed out, because you were muttering something about 'running in the family.' I didn't really catch what you said." She laughed sweetly. "Pretty random."

"Hah. Yeah." _Almost certainly inherited it from you, Grandma._

"So what are you going to do now?" Inuyasha butted in.

Rei had a pained expression. "I don't know. What should I do now?"

"I bet the well is open again," Kagome said serenely.

"You think so?"

"I just have a feeling," said Kagome, "that it'll open. I don't know if you believe in fate, but I do. Naraku is dead. The Sacred Jewel is gone. Everything that needed to be accomplished is done. And so, I can go on with the rest of my life. So can you. It's your choice as to what you do. As for me, I am going to stay here, with Inuyasha. My life is here."

Rei didn't know what to think. On one hand, she certainly was afraid that Kagome's decision to stay in the Feudal Era somehow negated Rei's birth, since Kagome would have never met Rei's grandfather, married him, or had a son with him. At the moment, however, she couldn't make herself care at all. There were more important, immediate things to worry about.

She struggled not to cry in front of an audience. For a split second, she could envision the life that she might have one day, if she decided to continue her life in the past. She knew that she would be content forever if she could just have that one thing. That one person. She could imagine her beautiful children, who looked like the both of them.

And she could tangibly see that future disappear before her eyes as she made her decision. "I'm going back home. I have nothing here," she heard herself say, and the voice sounded strange, like it wasn't hers. _It's a lie. But a lie I have to keep telling myself._ "I have nothing here," she repeated, more to convince herself than the others.

"Home?" Kagome asked. "When?"

"Now," Rei replied, trying to keep her voice as light and steady as possible. "There isn't any reason to stay another day."

Inuyasha looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you sure you've thought this through? I think you're making a stupid spur-of-the-moment decision. Seriously, I know my brother is an ass sometimes, but you…I…" He ran his fingers through his now-black hair with frustration, searching for his words carefully. "Whatever he did to upset you," he said slowly, "he didn't mean to do it. He really cares for you. More than anyone else."

Rei wanted to scream. _I wish he didn't._ Abruptly, she stood up, unable to take it anymore. "I'm going."

As if patterning her movements, everyone jumped up alongside her. "No!" protested Kagome, "Don't go yet! What's wrong?" She sounded sincere in her need to help.

"Don't try to stop me, Kagome," Rei warned dangerously. "And don't try to get in my business. Please?" she ended on a pleading note.

Miroku and Sango looked reluctant and apologetic. Inuyasha was angry. "How could you do this?" he blurted out. "Everything, everything, is about you, isn't it?" Softly, Kagome put a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, shooting him a glance that said, "Leave it."

"Okay," Kagome said calmly, but her eyes were sad. "You can go."

Rei breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you." She turned to leave, but Kagome stopped her. "Aren't you going to say goodbye?"

"Bye," Rei managed to say. She hugged everyone. Miroku wished her good luck in her future, and Sango blinked back tears as she promised to remember her. Inuyasha looked disgruntled as Rei put her arms around him. Quietly in his ear, she murmured, "I know I seem like a selfish coward, but it hurts me too. Take care of Kagome, okay?" He stepped back and looked a trifle more understanding, but still a little annoyed.

Last of all, Rei gave Kagome a hug. When they let go, Rei saw the resemblance to her old grandmother even more clearly. _If anything, at least I got to know Grandma better out of this whole ordeal. And I like her. I hope…I hope that she lives in happiness for some time before the clouds come._ She had never met anyone as genuinely kind as Kagome, and she would be very sorry to say goodbye to her. Not just as a past version of her grandmother, but as a friend. "Be happy," Rei whispered to her, "for as long as you live, no matter what happens."

"Don't be silly," she replied brightly, a little puzzled. "Of course I will be happy."

"Good," said Rei firmly. "I'll miss you. I guess, it's goodbye then." _But I'll be willing to bet that we'll meet again someday._

"I'll miss you too, Rei." Kagome grabbed her in a tight hug again. "I'll never forget you. I'll never forget how you helped us." But she had words of wisdom to give of her own. "And I think that there's someone out there, who won't forget you either. Please say goodbye. It's the least you can do."

"I will," Rei assured her, but secretly thinking that she had no intention of doing so. _Goodbyes are hard._

Somehow, she forced herself to walk out the door. She didn't look back, because she was afraid that if she did, she wouldn't have the resolve to go home.

xXx

She was standing at the edge of the well, hands clenching the edge, looking into its depths, willing herself to jump in. _Just jump in. In two seconds, you'll be back home, and it will be as if nothing had ever happened. It'll be life as usual. The nightmare will be over._ A tear worked its way from the corner of her eye and dropped into the well. _Stupid,_ she thought, shaking her head, _why am I sad? I miss my family. I _want_ to go home. I've wanted to go home for weeks._

Her entire body was shaking as she put a leg over the edge, and then another, until she was sitting on the rim of the well, hands ready to push off. She was teetering at the brink between two eras.

She heard a small dry cough from behind her. She almost let her hands lift her from the side, guide her back into the future, but she didn't. Instead, she turned her head and looked for the source of the sound, knowing with dread that it would be a mistake to do that.

There was no question in her mind who it would be. It was Sesshoumaru, of course. Before he could ask her what she was doing with his annoying habit of asking the obvious, she blurted out, "Don't come any closer, or I'll jump!" _Silly,_ she scolded herself, _you're making yourself sound like you're on the edge of a cliff, attempting suicide._

He rolled his eyes. "Really, you are making this far more dramatic than it should be," he said, bored and exasperated at the same time.

Tears welled up in Rei's eyes for the billionth time that day and threatened to flood down her cheeks. He was being impossibly blasé about it all. "Fine, I'm going," she announced. There was a sudden whoosh of air, but it was not the fall into the future. A second later, she found that Sesshoumaru, quite against her will, had snatched her from her precarious position on the well and set her down in front of him, but he had a firm grip on her arm.

"I thought it might be best to discuss this situation without your constant threats to disappear to your own time," he calmly explained.

Furious, Rei yanked her arm away from Sesshoumaru's vise-like grip, and put her hands on her hips. "I didn't give you permission to whisk me away like that. How can I have any say in a discussion when you can just fly me away at the speed of light? Let me go home!"

He appraised her carefully. "Do you want to go home?"

"Of course I want to go home! Being in the past is clearly bad for my health, considering how many times I could have died."

Sesshoumaru stood silent for a few moments, and then said with all the conviction in the world, "I don't believe you want to go home at all."

Rei was rendered speechless by his audacity. He continued with little notice of her alarmingly reddening face. At this point, Rei wasn't listening at all. _What nerve! Does he think that he's enough to keep me here? I've got a family that's probably crazed out of their minds, wondering if I've been kidnapped or died. I've got friends that are probably freaking out too. I've got school to finish. I've got a life! And I can't keep traipsing around in the past and just forget about that._ Suddenly, he grabbed her face and made her look him in the eye, dragging her from her indignant thoughts. "Listen to me," he said urgently.

Her heart fluttered immediately, and all other protestations died on her lips. Sesshoumaru looked miserable and frustrated. "Spit it out," she said, almost brutally, and then regretted it enormously.

His face was only inches from hers. Rei was blown away by his perfection. His flawless pale skin that had undoubtedly never seen the shadow of a zit, his crimson markings and blue crescent that only made him look more wildly beautiful, his pleading amber-gold eyes. "Stay with me," his voice rumbled.

Rei had never wanted so badly to stay with him. Every fiber of her being was screaming for her to forget about the well, forget about the future, and just live her happily ever after. Here was her knight in shining armor; here was the one she'd been waiting for. He was all she needed, and now he was asking her to be with him forever.

"Forever," she murmured aloud.

"Yes," he affirmed, "forever."

Slowly, agonizingly, she tore herself away from him. "Forever is impossible."

He stood stock-still, unable to believe that she might actually be saying no.

"Just look at us, Sesshoumaru." She sighed. "We're not meant to be. I'm a human. We could stay together for ten years, twenty, and we'd be so happy. I know we would. It would be like a dream come true. And then, what would happen? One day"—her voice quivered—"one day, we'd be sitting together, and you would find my first gray hair. You could pluck it out. You could deny it. But they'll just keep coming. The wrinkles would come. And soon, I'd be old. I'd get slower, and my memory would fail. I'd be a decrepit old woman." Her voice was teary now. "You'd still be perfect and beautiful. How would you feel, being stuck with an old woman like me? Is it worth it, Sesshoumaru?"

He didn't move. "That doesn't matter," he said softly.

"Do you remember that day, when we thought Rin died? Do you remember how painful it was? That was the day that you realized what it was to be human," she said harshly. She was breaking into pieces inside. She felt like a monster for making him hurt this way, but she had to convince him. She had to convince herself.

"One day," she said distantly, "I will die. Where will that leave you?" And now, watching Sesshoumaru's face crumble, Rei knew she had experienced the worst feeling in the world. Nothing could hurt more than this, more than saying goodbye. _Nothing could hurt more than letting go of the one thing you want most. I want to stay with you._

"So," he concluded finally, "you are leaving. You will not stay."

"No," she said, her throat burning. "Tell Rin—tell her that I love her, and miss her, and that I am going away for a long time."

She didn't want him to see her tears spill: he always hated crying. She turned to go, telling herself that maybe, one day, her heart would stop hurting.

He was in front of her, crushing her to himself, and then, blissfully, his lips were on hers. She was shocked, and then, cold and hot at the same time. His hand was tangled in her hair, but she was barely conscious of anything except what his mouth was doing. It was the most delicious kiss she had ever tasted, tinged with desperation—she felt a sharp fang graze her lip and she gasped—_no one can kiss like this,_ she thought deliriously.

Gradually, he ended the kiss, let her go, watched her response. She was frozen, like she didn't know what to do or what to say. Stupidly, she kept thinking, _That could have been mine,_ and then jealously hoping that he wouldn't ever kiss anyone else for the rest of his existence.

"Fate, it seems, is cruel," he said.

Rei threw her arms around him and wrapped him in a hug, trying to memorize what it felt like to be so close to him, trying to imprint the memory of his lips on hers for the rest of her life. "Fate brought me to you," she whispered, "and that is enough for me to be content. You know what they say, 'Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all.'"

"I did not know 'they' said that," he said, muffled into her hair, "but in whatever case, 'they' were wrong."

"Will you remember me when I'm gone?"

He snorted. "Don't be stupid," he said, sounding immensely like Inuyasha. "You are hardly someone to be easily forgotten."

Rei smiled in spite of herself. And it was like that, when she finally let go, walked to the well and said, "'Bye, then."

He looked unruffled, as he replied, "Yes. Until next time."

She didn't want to say that there wouldn't be a next time, that there would never be a next time. She only nodded, the lump in her throat growing larger and larger. "I feel like I should say something profound and important before I leave," she burst out, angry that her goodbye wasn't epic enough, special enough, good enough. "I feel like the last thing I should hear from you will stay with me. This is just so…_boring_, so…_common._"

He quirked an eyebrow, looking amused, but still a little sad.

Rei shook off her silliness and locked eyes with him as she lowered herself into the well. She heard him say, "You know, I loved you," before the familiar blue glow caught her fall, and it seemed like a century of misery later, set her gently back on the ground.

She was in the old well house again. _Home,_ she thought, before sinking into the cobweb covered dirt floor.

She cried.

--

A/N: The reviews for the last chapter were full of substance and basically awesome. You guys are the best people in the whole world. I hope I got across what I wanted in this chapter. Tell me what you think.


	19. And They Lived

**And They Lived**

"And that's exactly what happened," Rei finished. She twisted her hands nervously in her lap and waited to see her parents' response after her seemingly insane explanation as to why she had disappeared off the face of the earth for nearly a month and a half. After much deliberation, she had decided that the most believable story would be the truth. So after her parents practically hugged her limbs off, they'd all finally sat down to hear what had happened to their daughter.

Right now, her father sat in a state of shock, his mouth open, and his forehead creased in wrinkles that said, "I don't believe you." _Not promising._ It all came down to Mom, who was even less likely to buy the tale, since she was the one who always dismissed Grandma Kagome as a nutcase. Rei's mother appeared as if she was wrestling something important in her head. She clasped her hands together and looked up as her face cleared. "For over a month, we thought someone kidnapped you or killed you. All of Japan knows your face. You're the leading news story right now. There are three suspects under interrogation at this moment. And you tell us that you just jumped into our old well and went back in time? Nobody in the entire world is going to believe that, honey."

"So you think I'm lying?"

Her mother sighed. "I think there are two things that could be going on. One:"—she looked at Rei's father—"our daughter has gone off the deep end. Or two: she's telling the truth." She beamed at Rei. "I believe you, sweetheart."

"That's that then," Rei's father said easily, simply glad that his girl was home safe.

Mom, however, was not satisfied. "But the media and the police force won't. Better come up with our story now."

xXx

That had been two years ago. The story the next day in papers across the nation was that Rei was the miracle girl, found after a six-week disappearance in a case that had delivered no leads and baffled the police. To the entire family's relief, nobody questioned the carefully designed lie.

Things had worked out amazingly well. Rei had missed a lot of school, but by virtue of the fact that it was not her fault, the administration had granted her a boon and let her make up all her missed work during the summer. Two years later, she was allowed to graduate along with the rest of her classmates.

Standing at graduation, receiving a diploma was unreal. It was almost laughable how normal everything was. This was the way things would have been if Rei had never fallen into the past. Everything was the same. _Except…_

"Hey!" Ayaka called out. "Aren't you glad we're finally done with high school?"

Rei jerked out of her thoughts and managed to say, "Yeah. Yeah, I definitely am."

"Although, I'm surprised that Saitou-sensei let you go," Ayaka giggled. "He almost killed you for losing that precious book of his. But since you were a traumatized kidnap victim, I guess he chose not to push it."

_Didn't lose the book,_ thought Rei grudgingly, _It's probably safe and sound on the other side of the well, gathering dust five hundred and fifty years ago._

Everyone around her was celebrating graduation, moving onto college or into the real world. But Rei felt crowded, nauseated, and just wanted to go home. She was glad, of course that she was finished with high school at last. And on the whole, the world had treated her pretty well upon her return. But reminiscing about the past made her uncomfortable, dug up memories she had tried desperately to bury. She hadn't gone within a fifty-foot radius of the well house since the day she came back with her heart shattered. Her family assumed that the experience in the Feudal Era had not been a totally good one and didn't bring it up again.

Sitting at home on her bed, Rei admitted to herself that she had not told the whole truth to her parents. She had changed Kagome's name. She didn't mention any emotional attachments to the individuals she had met in the past. And she didn't mention her constant yearning to dive back into the well and scream, "No, come back, I didn't mean it!"

Seeing her grandmother every day, was a reminder of things that were. Grandma Kagome did not recognize Rei for the girl that had helped them defeat Naraku so many hundreds of years ago. And that was fine. It would have been worse if she knew. Rei stayed away from Kagome for three months before she could finally talk to her without reliving the painful past. It was much easier now.

Mostly, Rei was grateful that her fate was a happier one than her sorrowful grandmother's. There was a future for Rei. She could get married, have children, forget about the whole ordeal. And deep inside, she could know that Sesshoumaru was safe and alive in the past. That's all she needed to know.

There were times when Rei almost broke her personal boundary and went into the well house. It took every ounce of control not to do it. She knew that if she took one step closer than she allowed herself to, the next second, she'd find herself back on the other side of the well. She couldn't let herself succumb to her selfish human desires. Once or twice, she wondered if she had made a mistake.

But it was done, and after many months, she found that she could live with it if she didn't think about it too much.

The first couple of months, she was very guilty of thinking about it, far too much. It was habit. For instance, every time she argued with anyone, searing memories of every stupid and non-stupid argument with Sesshoumaru came up, often reducing her to tears. She remembered his frosty comments about everything, his extreme impatience, his short, clipped way of talking, his over-protectiveness, and his tendency to act like he was the king of the world. There was no denying it. She missed him more than was healthy or even safe for her sanity. She kept reminding herself that this was the path she chose, that she had no one to blame but herself for her misery, so the best thing she could do was pick up the pieces and move on.

She wondered if he had already moved on. In a perfect world, she would have wanted him to find his soul mate in his time, get married, and have a passel of inu-children. Rei was confused by what she wanted. On one hand, she hoped her leaving had spared him a worse heartache. On the other, she—against all reason and logic—hoped that he still loved her.

She had let time run its course, let her emotions run their course, and lived her life. She was eighteen now, older and wiser, not a girl with silly notions of true love and fate. She would be attending the University of Tokyo in the fall, and surely, she would meet a wonderful young man and things would be the way they were supposed to be.

"Rei! Come here, please!" Her mother was calling for her. Rei passed a hand over her face to wipe away her thoughts. _Lighten up,_ she ordered herself, as she headed downstairs toward the kitchen.

Her mother was waiting for her, an apron tied neatly around her waist, about to start preparing dinner. Rei stood on her tiptoes and kissed her on the cheek. "What's up?" she said.

"Your friend Ayaka is outside. She wants to go shopping with you to celebrate graduation. Go with her, please. You haven't been out in such a very long time. This is a wonderful occasion. Smile, dear. Dinner can wait."

Rei was eternally grateful to her mother for constantly providing diversions when she was at her low points. "Thanks, Mom." Outside, it was a beautiful, balmy afternoon, the kind that made it impossible for anyone to feel sad. Ayaka was standing under a tree, grinning from ear to ear.

"Ready to go?" Ayaka quipped. "I got a lot of cash from the grandparents, etc. This is going to be awesome. I can't wait to come home with so many pairs of shoes that my mom flips." She shook her head solemnly. "My mother doesn't understand the necessity of a different pair of shoes for every day of the year. _How_ are we related?"

"You know, Ayaka, I have no idea. But for the record, I don't understand your obsession with shoes either."

They linked arms and headed off. _This could be okay,_ Rei thought, brightening. _I could live with this._ She could imagine Sesshoumaru giving her a small smile. Her heart lifted.

"You seem kind of…pensive lately. Anything wrong? What?! Why are you crying?" Ayaka asked, alarmed.

"Everything's perfectly fine. I'm just…happy." His smile widened a little bit in her mind.

Rei grinned back, letting the wind dry her tears.

--

A/N: Now before you all flip your wig and threaten to burn my house down, I'm just going to let you know I'm writing a sequel if any of you are interested. Drop a review telling me what you thought of this story, and whether or not you'd want to see a sequel. This can be a stand alone story, but from the very beginning, I intended to write a sequel. There are a couple of very worthwhile characters I want to introduce, and plotlines I'd like to explore. Think of the new installment as the second part of the original. It will be shorter, sweeter, wittier, more of a romance and less of an adventure. If you can deal with that, I think you will enjoy it. It will not be a very long wait before the first chapter; I've got it all planned out (much more so than I had this story). The new tale is entitled, "Something Ever After." Look for it!


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